Bruce Guthrie Recommends: National Gallery of Art: Saul Steinberg exhibit (September 12, 2017 – May 18, 2018)

by Bruce Guthrie

 

I popped over to the National Gallery of Art today and noticed one of the new exhibits is some pieces by Saul Steinberg.  The NGA description of it is:

Saul Steinberg

September 12, 2017 – May 18, 2018

This special installation of 18 drawings, two photographs, and an assortment of small sculptures by Saul Steinberg (1914–1999) is part of an initiative—dating from the reopening of the East Building galleries in 2016—to include selected modern drawings, prints, and photographs as part of the permanent collection display.

Revered by millions for his outstanding covers for the New Yorker magazine, Steinberg was an extraordinary draftsman whose line, according to the art critic Harold Rosenberg, was "delectable in itself." Whether making independent works or ones for publication, Steinberg brought a mordant wit and a sharp eye to all his art, creating works that disarm, enchant, and electrify. The installation spans the years 1945 to 1984 and includes a wide range of subjects and types: from World War II air raids to New York hipsters, from collages incorporating real stationery to bogus documents enhanced with fake signatures and seals.

Organization: Organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington

The exhibit isn't exactly huge -- one exhibit room -- but there are several interesting pieces there.  I photographed it as always ( www.bguthriephotos.com/graphlib.nsf/keys/2017_10_01E2_NGAEW_Steinberg ) and below are a couple of my favorite ones from those on display:

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