The New Yorker

Saul Steinberg drew 87 covers for The New Yorker! The March 29th of 1976 cover is ranked 4th largest magazine cover of the second half of the 20th century by the American Society of Magazine Editors. On this "View of the World from 9th Avenue", Steinberg captures in a few tasty details the perception that New Yorkers at the time had of the rest of the United States and the world: desert, rock, Kansas City, Nebraska, Las Vegas, and beyond the Pacific, the silhouettes of Japan, China and Russia!

For this April 21th, 1973 cover of The New Yorker, the illustrator Raymond Davidson, a native of Brooklyn, puts Manhattan in the green. Spring brings out the trees on the avenues and the emblematic facades of the Big Apple, with their famous fire escapes.

On July 29, 2024, to mark the opening of the Paris Olympic Games, Paul Rogers pays tribute to the iconic Monsieur Hulot, the free-spirited and eccentric character created by French filmmaker Jacques Tati. Through this illustration, he celebrates a certain joy of living and French elegance.

Hulot is depicted with a pipe in his mouth and a hat firmly on his head, riding his Solex while holding up the Olympic flame, as if moving on the fringes of the world's chaos. Beside him, little Gérard seems to embody the amazed gaze of a spectator discovering Paris for the first time.

This scene, directly inspired by the film Mon Oncle, perfectly captures the charm and poetry of Tati’s universe.

As a greeting to the sun on Sempé’s August 11, 1997 New Yorker cover. The simplicity of the infinite landscape, the gradations of the dawn sky, the thin strips of foam and the pastel yellow sand beach, make the little gymnast in red shorts who stands on his head, a real ray of sunshine. 

At this time of year, the senses awaken to the songs of birds, heralding the arrival of spring. For the cover of the April 15, 2024, issue, illustrator Peter de Sève invites readers to explore the details and creatures that emerge as the days grow warmer.

His illustration features familiar winged species, such as the Eastern bluebird and the mourning dove, but also imaginary birds—and even a hidden feline silhouette, ready to pounce. Can you spot it?

"Creating an image that encourages the viewer to dive into it like a puzzle is always a rewarding experience," says Peter de Sève.

Sempé and music is a long love story that goes from Jazz to Debussy and his Clair de Lune, via Trenet, Ravel, Gershwin and Michel Legrand. On this cover of March 12 th 1984, he offers us a little journey of modesty in the philharmonic orchestra, from the conductor to the harpist, to the snare drum player all moved by this honour. 

On February 6, 2023, Malika Favre celebrates Valentine’s Day a few days early. She illustrates a loving couple, arm in arm, walking under an umbrella. Seen from behind, they move forward in harmony.

The image, both structured and contrasted, depicts them heading toward the iconic arches of the Brooklyn Bridge. This engineering masterpiece—one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States—embodies history and the American dream, which, until recently, was a land of opportunity, promise, and hope.

Classical dance and ballet are among Sempé's recurring themes. On this March 23, 1987 cover, a young ballerina presents her steps under the keen eye of her teacher. With her arm raised, she looks like a statue of liberty, while the shadows of her classmates draw a reflection close to that of the Skyline in the Hudson River. 

Many of us eagerly await the arrival of warm days to fully enjoy the outdoors. For the cover of the April 1, 2024, issue, Mark Ulriksen illustrates this anticipation through one of his favorite creatures: the dog.

“Dogs are wonderful in so many ways,” says Ulriksen. “They welcome you as a hero, whether you've been gone for five minutes or five days.”

In the illustration, the signs of joy are obvious: a tail wagging frantically and, if you listen closely, enthusiastic barks greeting the long-awaited return of their owner.

This image explores the theme of fame and media omnipresence. Renowned Canadian illustrator Anita Kunz chose the Mona Lisa—an iconic figure in art and a symbol of timeless celebrity—to illustrate this concept.

She wondered how Mona Lisa would perceive her current notoriety and imagined a scene where she expresses a certain reluctance toward the constant attention she receives. This illustration showcases Kunz’s ability to offer satirical and insightful commentary on social and cultural issues, using classic artistic references to address contemporary themes.

In this illustration, Eric Drooker seems to capture a suspended moment in time. The Hell Gate Bridge, with its imposing steel arch, stands as a symbol of connection between the Queens neighborhood of Astoria and Randall’s Island, while the silhouettes of a father and his son, modest fishermen at dusk, bring a touch of serenity to the scene.

The contrast is striking: in the background, skyscrapers represent the frenzy of New York, the city that never sleeps. In the foreground, the calm water and the golden light of the setting sun transform this scene into a haven of peace—a moment of contemplation far from the urban hustle and bustle.

For the cover of the January 22, 2022, issue, Franco-American artist Pascal Campion sought to capture a unique aspect of New York’s winter: the golden light of the low sun, which bathes the buildings and floods the city’s streets.

It is this celestial body that he highlights. Campion plays with the contrasts between the warm glow of this winter light and the city’s inhabitants emerging onto the streets—their backlit silhouettes anonymous, faceless, yet full of life.

Showing color. This November 16, 2020 New Yorker cover, by French-American illustrator Pascal Campion, heralds Joe Biden's victory in the presidential election. Traditionally, the Empire State Building is colored to announce the party of the elected candidate, Democrat or Republican. The artist dares to represent a bright relief after a long week of waiting for the results of the states of Georgia, Pennsylvania and Arizona, which have made a sharp turn in the blue zone. This cover provides a knowing nod to Mark Ulriksen's 2012 cover, which anticipated Barack Obama's second victory.