Artwork
Birds
Birds is a drawing by Saul Steinberg. It dates from 1951 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Birds is a 1951 drawing by Saul Steinberg, featuring a collection of birds on a grid-like background.
Subject & Meaning
The birds are depicted with bodies resembling fingerprints, and minimal additional features such as eyes and beaks. Their uniformity and simplicity create a sense of ambiguity, leaving the viewer to fill in the gaps.
Technique & Style
The drawing is characterized by simple, light lines, evoking the feeling of quick sketches. The use of basic shapes for the birds' bodies adds to the overall sense of simplicity and abstraction.
History & Provenance
The drawing was exhibited at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London in May 1952, as the fourteenth piece in a show of Steinberg's drawings.
Artist & collection
