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Utopia II

Utopia II

Artist (American, born Romania, 1914–1999)
Date1967
MediumPen and ink, ink wash, and watercolor
DimensionsSheet: 28 1/4 x 22 1/2 inches (71.8 x 57.2 cm)
ClassificationsPaintings
Credit LineGift of Isabel and William Berley, Classes of 1947 and 1945
Terms
  • Paintings
  • Romanian
  • Ink wash
  • Pen and ink
  • Watercolor
  • Landscapes
  • Lettering (Layout features)
  • ivory wove paper
Object number99.078.065
Label CopyThe unintelligible stamps and lettering in Utopia II inscribe this landscape with immigration’s documentary marks. A Romanian-Jewish immigrant, Steinberg sought refuge in the United States in 1941 from the rising anti-Semitic fascist regime in Europe. It is likely then, that this work alludes to not only his personal experience but also the countless journeys people have made and continue to make in order to arrive at the “utopia” of America: forsaking their nation of birth to be processed through bureaucratic systems of scrutiny, documentation, and approval in order to finally arrive in a new land burgeoning with awaiting hardships and to-be-fulfilled dreams. -Kathie Jiang ("Shifting Ground," curated by undergraduate members of Cornell's History of Art Majors' Society, with oversight by Leah Sweet and Brittany R. R. Rubin, and presented at the Johnson Museum April 21-August 12, 2018)
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