Steinberg, Saul (1914-1999), was an artist noted for his humorous and thought-provoking pen-and-ink drawings. His works often involve puns on the meanings of images and words. The majority of Steinberg’s drawings have no captions or explanations. In many of Steinberg’s drawings, however, figures utter “words” indicated by fantastic forms coming from their mouths.
Two important themes appear in Steinberg’s works, identity and transformation. Some of his drawings reproduce such documents as passports. Steinberg also created drawings featuring fingerprints.
Steinberg was born on June 15, 1914, in Rimnicu Saarat, Romania. He settled in the United States at the age of 28. Much of his work appeared in The New Yorker magazine. He died on May 12, 1999.
