The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will open a new exhibition, At the Races with Saul Steinberg, in the Link Gallery Jan. 18. Made possible by the Saul Steinberg Foundation, the drawings featured in this exhibition span the period of 1955 to 1959. Three were published in his book The Labyrinth in 1960. One was later published in the 1963 Sports Illustrated article “Steinberg at the Races” that featured scenes at racetracks from Paris to Los Angeles.
“We are excited to exhibit the artwork of Saul Steinberg in a different light and bring together those with an appreciation of art as well as Thoroughbred racing,” said Jessica Cloer, the Museum's curator.
Romanian-born and raised Steinberg (1914-1999), who created cartoons for the Italian humor magazines Bertoldo and Settebello, was contracted by The New Yorker in 1942 and soon after, he was recommended for employment as a consultant at the Office of War Information. He later received a commission in the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1943 and was granted citizenship. After the war, he returned to New York to resume his work.
Steinberg produced drawings, paintings, prints, collages, sculptures, and murals. Best known for the visual wit of his pen-and-ink drawings featured in The New Yorker for close to 60 years, Steinberg also contributed to other magazines, including TIME, LIFE, Vogue, Harper's Magazine and Sports Illustrated.
In 1952, Steinberg visited Saratoga Springs, New York, on commission from Harper's to provide drawings for an article about the city. Though he previously produced a series of drawings of horses and their riders in the 1940s, this visit may have prompted his interest in Thoroughbred racing.
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