Self-Portrait c. 1986s

This is a self-portrait by Saul Steinberg, made with ink on paper. Here, we see his mastery not just of line, but the entire culture of drawing. The support for the drawing is noteworthy: a spiral-bound notebook, something not often associated with fine art. The image is drawn with spare, precise lines, and the simplicity of the materials directs our attention to the process of its making. There is an immediacy to the ink on paper, revealing the artist's hand and thought process. The drawing feels spontaneous and direct. Steinberg was interested in the relationship between image and reality, so he engaged readily with the means of reproduction, like printmaking and commercial art. In doing so, he deliberately challenged conventional hierarchies between high and low culture, demonstrating that the value of an image comes from its capacity to communicate, not necessarily from the preciousness of its materials or the perceived skill of its maker.