Self-Portrait in Profile

c.1986/1995

Saul Steinberg

Associated Names
Saul Steinberg

Artist, American, born Romania, 1914 - 1999

The image is a line drawing of a person's head and upper shoulder area, shown in profile facing left. The person's head is drawn with exaggerated features including a prominent nose, a wide open mouth displaying teeth, and a large monocle covering the eye. The hairstyle is slicked back with parallel lines indicating the hair pattern. The neck is depicted with simple outline strokes, and the visible part of the clothing suggests a collared garment. The background is blank except for the spiral binding of the notebook on the left edge of the page.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    black felt-tip pen on wove paper in spiral-bound sketchbook

  • Credit Line

    Gift of The Saul Steinberg Foundation

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 35.56 × 27.94 cm (14 × 11 in.)
    book: 35.56 × 27.94 × 1.27 cm (14 × 11 × 1/2 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2016.143.35.13

Associated Artworks

See all 47 artworks
Large, bold letters spell out "TRASH" in a staggered arrangement with a three-dimensional appearance. The abstract composition resembles skyscrapers, with each letter standing upright. Words such as "SUPERB," "TERRIFIC," "GREAT," "FANTASTIC," "SUBLIME," and "AMAZING" are inscribed on the letters. Above, a billboard reads "WOW!" Below, a cluttered sketch of small, round shapes and lines suggests vehicles and people. The background features a warm color gradient resembling a sunrise or sunset sky.

Study for "Trash"

Saul Steinberg

1986

This is a photograph of a spiral-bound sketch diary cover. The cover is bright yellow with a graphic design featuring a globe intersected by arrows and flanked by a ship and airplane. The text "PORTRAIT" is written above the globe, and below it are the words "The Globetrotter" in quote marks. Below the graphic, "AQUABEE Sketch Diary" is displayed in bold black text, along with details about the diary's specifications. The diary contains 70 sheets of drawing paper and is made in the U.S.A. The spiral binding is visible on the left edge.

Sketchbook

Saul Steinberg

1986

This is a drawing of the word "JUNK" in a 3D block letter style. The drawing depicts the letters "J," "U," "N," and "K," each rendered in a simple, three-dimensional style. The letters appear to be sketched with pencil, showing basic shading and outlining to emphasize the block-like structure of each character. The lines are relatively rough and sketchy. The word is centered on a notebook page with visible spiral binding. The plain background keeps the focus on the text and its three-dimensional form.

Junk (study related to "Trash")

Saul Steinberg

1986

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Gift to NGA in 2016 from The Saul Steinberg Foundation, New York, NY.

Associated Names

Wikidata ID

Q64630617

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