The artwork titled “Canal Street” by Saul Steinberg, created in 1988, belongs to the Expressionism movement and falls under the genre of illustration.
This monochromatic piece exemplifies Steinberg’s unique ability to fuse the abstract with the representational. The drawing depicts a street scene with chaotic, maze-like structures on either side of a narrow pathway, running towards a perspective that converges at the horizon. Both sides are adorned with intricate, geometric, and angular patterns, resembling abstract architectural forms. The central path, filled with tiny scattered elements, invites the viewer into a cluttered urban world that seems both familiar and surreal. The monochromatic palette accentuates the complexity of the line work, bringing the vibrancy of the bustling street to life through sheer penmanship. Overall, Steinberg’s “Canal Street” captures the essence of an urban environment through the lens of expressionistic illustration.
