Pernambuco

Artist Saul Steinberg (American, 1914 - 1999)

Date1952

MediumBlue ballpoint ink on Strathmore

Dimensions23 × 29 inches (58.4 × 73.7 cm)
Matted: 28 3/4 × 34 5/8 inches (73 × 87.9 cm)

Credit LineGift of The Saul Steinberg Foundation

Object number2025.8

On View

Not on view

Copyright© The Saul Steinberg Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. The images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextWorking across illustration, cartooning, and fine art, Romanian-born Saul Steinberg’s witty drawings and illustrations merge caricature, architecture, and social observation. After emigrating to the United States during World War II (1939–1945), Steinberg became known for his many cover illustrations for The New Yorker. Steinberg developed a distinctive visual language that balanced sharp observation with satirical wit. Created during Steinberg’s travels in Brazil, Pernambuco depicts a street scene in Recife, the capital of the northeastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco. Steinberg’s characteristic distorted perspective flattens the composition, while his minimal and precise linework animates the urban setting. Crowded storefronts, pedestrians, and architectural details accumulate across the composition, emphasizing the density and movement of the city. As in many of Steinberg’s works, close observation is paired with exaggeration, transforming the city into a highly stylized interpretation of urban life.

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