Describing artist Saul Steinberg's (1914-1999) work to anyone unfamiliar with him is easy: Just say that he's the guy who did the famous 1976 New Yorker cover called "View of the World from 9th Avenue," showing a dominating and detailed westward view of NYC streets, the Hudson River, an inconsequential, barren American landscape behind it, the Pacific Ocean behind that, and Asia on the horizon. In my comic strip "Tom the Dancing Bug," I've done three parodies of that illustration that I can think of off the top of my head; I probably did more.
AD-FREEIn all, he published 89 New Yorker covers, 650 cartoons, and seven books, as well as creating prints, collages, paintings and sculptures that are exhibited all over the world.
Steinberg was born in Romania, studied and started his career in Milan, fled to the Dominican Republic in 1941 to escape Italy's Fascist government, began being published in The New Yorker in 1941, and moved to New York City in 1942. Within a few months of his move to the States, he was recruited to Naval Intelligence, then worked for the Office of Strategic Services in China, India, North Africa, and Italy, until 1944.
In 1945, a book of his 1941-1945 illustrations, cartoons, and travel sketches, All in Line, was published, and greatly boosted his reputation and career. This month, the New York Review of Books has re-published All in Line, in a beautifully printed hardcover book.
It's a fascinating look at the early work of an artist in turmoil: living in the Dominican Republic to flee oppression, in New York City, and around the world, working for the OSS during World War II.
The book is divided into sections. The first is untitled, and consists of 1941-1945 drawings and cartoons both published in The New Yorker and not. Most are not gag cartoons, the way we would think of New Yorker cartoons today, but are witty illustrated observations.
The second section is titled "War," and includes many cartoons lampooning Germany and the Axis powers, certainly a subject of vital concern to a European Jewish refugee.
And the remaining sections are illustrations from Steinberg's travels for the OSS during World War II. There is one section for each of his stations: China;
India;
North Africa;
and Italy;
… the last two examples demonstrating Steinberg's defiant disregard for proper perspective in cityscapes that presages his "View of the World from 9th Avenue."
All in Line was released on November 19.
