Ben Shahn

Ben Shahn, an American social realist, captured the human struggle and political conscience of the 20th century through powerful lithographs, tempera paintings, and documentary photography.

ABOUT

Born Benjamin Shahn in 1898 in what is now Lithuania, Ben Shahn's early life was marked by his family's emigration to the United States in 1906, fleeing his father's exile for suspected revolutionary activities. Settling in Brooklyn, Shahn initially trained as a lithographer, a skill that would inform his graphic sensibilities throughout his career. After briefly exploring biology, he committed to art, studying at the National Academy of Design and traveling through Europe.…

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NOTABLE WORKS

The Riveter (mural study, Bronx, New York central postal station) 1938 · Smithsonian American Art Museum Love and Joy 1910 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art Praise Ye the Lord, Praise God in His Sanctuary 1910 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art God Bless the Master of the House 1910 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art Dove with Peace on Earth 1910 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art Turtle Dove 1910 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art

See all of Ben's works in Art Whisper

INFLUENCES

Influenced by

Diego RiveraMuralism Walker EvansDocumentary Photography Henri MatisseModernism Pablo PicassoCubism

Influenced