When we enter the world of Saul Steinberg’s drawings, we find ourselves enclosed in a paradise of delightful absurdities. What we normally think of as the reality of daily life has everywhere been transformed into an animated landscape of wit and paradox. Everything we see in these drawings—nearly 100, from every phase of Steinberg’s career, are on view in this fetching exhibition—is either too big or too small, and the force of gravity has been suspended in favor of objects and figures that enjoy the liberties that Steinberg has created for their benefit. Even words are endowed with the power to remain aloft, and a Christmas tree may serve as a suitable costume for a Santa Claus.

Despite the inveterate zaniness of Steinberg’s art, however, it would be a mistake to regard these deli ...