THE CAT ON THE ARMCHAIR
Saul Steinberg, a Romanian-born artist, gained fame in the 1940s for his ability to capture incisive and witty observations through his drawings. After emigrating to the United States, he used connections from his time as an architecture student in Milan to secure illustration work for various New York publications, which ultimately helped him obtain U.S. citizenship. By the late 1940s, Steinberg had become a prominent figure, particularly known for his contributions to *The New Yorker*.
During the same period, designers Charles and Ray Eames rose to prominence with their innovative plywood chairs, followed by the introduction of the Eames Fiberglass Chair in the 1950s, the first mass-produced chair made from a single piece of molded plastic. Around the time these chairs were launched, Steinberg and his wife, artist Hedda Sterne, spent two months in Los Angeles, where they became friends with the Eames. The couples engaged in a variety of playful and creative activities, such as projecting Steinberg's drawings onto their wives and drawing whimsical figures on the Eames' furniture and walls. One of Steinberg's most notable creations during this time was a drawing of a sleeping cat on a Fiberglass Armchair.
Today, only two original Steinberg-drawn pieces on the Eames chairs survive: the cat on the Armchair, which is part of the Eames Institute's collection, and a partial nude figure, on loan to the Vitra Design Museum. Steinberg's cat, a recurring motif in his work, was a significant symbol, appearing on several covers of *The New Yorker*. His collaboration with the Eames was a natural extension of his interest in blending elements of domestic life with art, exploring the interplay between reality and fiction.
In June, Vitra is releasing a limited edition of the Eames Fiberglass Armchair featuring Steinberg's cat drawing, with only 500 pieces available exclusively in Europe. This reissue celebrates the timelessness of the creative vision shared by Steinberg and the Eames.
Source: vitra.com
