Portrait of a Woman c. 1986s

This is Saul Steinberg’s "Portrait of a Woman," a drawing made on a page in a notebook. It's just lines, almost like a coloring book image, but I wouldn't want to fill it in. It's a fascinating exercise in how little you need to convey an entire world! It’s like Steinberg is saying, “Here are the bare bones, the essentials.” The line is thin, almost tentative, but decisive. Look at the hands, resting on what seems to be a table, each finger rendered with the same delicate care. The rings on her fingers are like tiny galaxies, drawing you in. And the necklace, oh, the necklace! A string of perfect circles, each one slightly different, like a little world of its own. The off-white of the paper acts as this grounding presence, like a blank canvas waiting to be filled. Think of Picasso's line drawings, where a single stroke can define a form. It feels like a conversation about the possibilities of simplicity.