Ben Shahn

Biography

Ben Shahn (1898–1969) was a Lithuanian-born American painter, photographer, printmaker, muralist and graphic artist best known for his Social Realism and socially conscious artwork. Born on September 12, 1898, in Kovno, Lithuania, he immigrated with his family to the United States in 1906 and settled in Brooklyn, New York.

Shahn initially trained as a lithographer and later studied art in New York and Paris. He gained major recognition with The Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti (1931–32), a series addressing the controversial trial and execution of Italian immigrants Sacco and Vanzetti.

During the Great Depression, Shahn worked on several government art programs and photographed rural poverty for the Farm Security Administration. He also created murals, posters, illustrations and prints addressing poverty, injustice and political issues.

In his later career, Shahn explored more symbolic, religious and personal themes while continuing to work in painting and graphic art. He was also an influential teacher and lecturer. Ben Shahn died on March 14, 1969, in New York City, aged 70. He remains an important figure in American Social Realism and socially engaged art.