Typically, his works address the Great Depression, World War II, and the impact of technology and politics on individuals and their surroundings.

During his time at Pratt, Landau helped to establish the University Without Walls program, in which students worked closely with instructors to gain hands-on experience.

In 1975, Landau became a faculty member of the Artist Teacher Institute, a 10-day summer residency program sponsored by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Jacob Landau died on November 24, 2001, at the age of 85, and is buried in the Roosevelt Cemetery near his friends Ben Shahn and Gregorio Prestopino.

[2] After his death, the Jacob Landau Institute was formed to preserve his legacy, share his unique philosophy of education, and nurture individual artists.

[4] Growing up during the Great Depression and having been profoundly affected by The Holocaust, Landau's work expresses the self-inflicted human turmoil of the 20th century.

He often drew from biblical or literary sources, presenting unpleasant topics in a way that emphasized the unlimited possibilities of peace and greater understanding.

Existential philosopher Walter Kauffman described Landau's work as "unmistakenly modern and at the same time in the tradition of Goya and Blake.