Items Similar to "Two Days of Childhood That are Still Unexplained, " Litho signed by Ben Shahn
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 9
Ben Shahn"Two Days of Childhood That are Still Unexplained, " Litho signed by Ben Shahn1968
1968
About the Item
"Two Days of Childhood That are Still Unexplained" from "For the Sake of a Single Verse" is an original lithograph signed in the lower right by the artist Ben Shahn. It depicts six female figures in long coats. One group is silhouetted in blue and the other in a pastel purple.
22 1/2" x 17 5/8" art
32 3/4" x 28" frame
Ben Shahn (American, September 12, 1898 - March 14, 1969) was a painter, lithographer, and photographer best known for his left-wing political leanings, works of social realism, and The Shape of Content, a publication of his lectures. Shahn was born in Kovno, Lithuania, when the country was still occupied by the Russian Empire. In 1902, Shahn's father, Joshua Hessel, was exiled to Siberia. Shahn then moved to Vilkomir, Lithuania, with his mother, Gittel, and his two siblings. Their family moved to the United States in 1906 to join their father who had fled from exile. After settling in Brooklyn, NY, Shahn began to train in lithography and graphic design, and his favorite medium was egg tempera. In 1919, Shahn enrolled in New York University to study Biology before entering the City College in 1921 to study Art. He also studied Art at the National Academy of Design. In the 1920s, Shahn and his wife traveled around Africa and Europe to study the works of renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881- 1973) and Raoul Dufy (French, 1877-1953).
In 1933, Shahn worked as an assistant of Diego Rivera (Mexican, 1886 - 1957); at this time, Rivera was working on the mural at the Rockefeller Center in New York. Two years later, Shahn was recommended by Walker Evans (American, 1903 - 1975) to join the Farm Security Administration photographic group. One of the artist’s most famous works is the fresco mural he did for the Jersey Homesteads' community center. Shahn also worked on murals for the state on the Federal Security Building and the Bronx Central Annex Post Office.
During the Second World War, Shahn made a series of paintings laced with anti-war sentiments. An example of his work during this period is Death on the Beach. Shahn's famous portrait of Martin Luther King, Jr. is an example of work he did commercially for Time. He also did commercial works for CBS, Fortune, and Harper's. In 1954, Shahn represented the United States at the Venice Biennale alongside Willem de Kooning (Dutch, 1904 - 1997).
In the last two decades of his life, Shahn was active in academics and received honorary doctorates from several universities, such as Princeton University in Princeton, NY, and Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. He had exhibited at institutions including Edith Halpert's Downtown Gallery in New York, NY, in 1930, and New Jersey State Museum, in Trenton, in 1969. His works can be found in numerous galleries, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Shahn died in New York in 1969.
- Creator:Ben Shahn (1898-1969, American)
- Creation Year:1968
- Dimensions:Height: 32.75 in (83.19 cm)Width: 28 in (71.12 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Milwaukee, WI
- Reference Number:
Ben Shahn
Ben Shahn (1898 – 1969) was a Lithuanian-born American artist. He is best known for his works of social realism, his left-wing political views, and his series of lectures published as The Shape of Content. Shahn began his path to becoming an artist in New York, where he was first trained as a lithographer. Shahn's early experiences with lithography and graphic design is apparent in his later prints and paintings which often include the combination of text and image. Shahn's primary medium was egg tempera, popular among social realists. Shahn mixed different genres of art. His body of art is distinctive for its lack of traditional landscapes, still lifes, and portraits. Shahn used both expressive and precise visual languages, which he coalesced through the consistency of his authoritative line. Shahn is also noted for his use of unique symbolism, which is often compared to the imagery in Paul Klee's drawings. His art is striking but also introspective. He often captured figures engrossed in their own worlds. Although he used many mediums, his pieces are consistently thoughtful and playful.
About the Seller
4.9
Platinum Seller
These expertly vetted sellers are 1stDibs' most experienced sellers and are rated highest by our customers.
Established in 1966
1stDibs seller since 2017
393 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 2 hours
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Milwaukee, WI
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
More From This SellerView All
- 'Circular Motion' original lithograph signed by Georges SchreiberBy Georges SchreiberLocated in Milwaukee, WIIn this lithograph, Georges Schreiber focused on the thrill of the circus, taking its circular composition from the central ring. Here, acrobats perform amazing feats of agility on t...Category
1940s American Modern Animal Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- "Victoria" original lithograph signed by Malvin Marr "Zsissly" AlbrightBy Malvin Marr AlbrightLocated in Milwaukee, WIThe present print, "Victoria," is the most iconic example of the printmaking of Malvin Marr Albright, called Zsissly. The composition for the image comes from Albright's painting from about 1935, done while he was studying at the Art Institute of Chicago. We can see clearly in the image how he possesses the same skill for unsettling, magic realist images as his more famous twin brother Ivan Le Lorraine: The lady Victoria sits at a dining room table, surrounded by luxurious still-life objects. All the textures and surfaces of the image express a horror vacui as seen in his painted works, such as "The Trail of Time is Dust" at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. The door in this print recalls one of the more famous works by his brother, "That Which I Should Have Done I Did Not Do (The Door)" at the Art Institute of Chicago. 1947, after ca. 1935 original painting 8 1/2 x 13 inches, image 12 x 16 inches, sheet 16 1/4 x 20 1/2 frame Signed in pencil, lower right Title in pencil, lower left Published by Associated American Artists Inc. Unnumbered from the edition of 250 A painter and sculptor, Malvin Albright was born in Chicago, one of twin sons of Adam Emory Albright, famous Chicago figure painter of juvenile subjects, who often used Malvin and his brother Ivan Le Lorraine as models. Malvin's middle name, Marr, was after Wisconsin artist Carl von Marr...Category
1940s American Modern Figurative Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- "Derriere Le Miroir, " Three Original Color Lithographs by Saul SteinbergBy Saul SteinbergLocated in Milwaukee, WI"Derriere Le Miroir" is an original color lithograph signed by the artist Saul Steinberg. The artist's signature is in the bottom left margin. Image Size: 14"x20" Frame Size: 25 5/8...Category
1970s American Modern Figurative Prints
MaterialsPaper, Lithograph
- 'Lobsterman's Wharf, Maine' original lithograph signed by "Zsissly" AlbrightBy Malvin Marr AlbrightLocated in Milwaukee, WI'Lobsterman's Wharf, Maine' is an original lithograph signed by Malvin Marr "Zsissly" Albright. While Malvin Marr – along with his better-known identical twin Ivan Albright – was known for his meticulous and unsettling magic realist compositions, he and his brother were also prolific in capturing landscapes of the coast of Maine where the two spent several consecutive summers away from Chicago over their lives. Sometimes these Maine landscapes and views would be painterly and seemingly antithetical to the careful realism of his other work; but in this example, however, the wharf is treated with the same macabre decay as his human subjects. In the composition, the shack...Category
1940s American Modern Figurative Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- "Swimmers, " Seascape Linoleum Cut by Clarice George LoganBy Clarice George LoganLocated in Milwaukee, WI"Swimmers" is an original linoleum print by Clarice George Logan. It features five figures enjoying a swim, jumping off from a small boat. Image: 4.94" x 6" Framed: 13.87" x 14.87" Clarice George Logan was born in Mayville, New York in 1909 but moved to Wisconsin in 1921. She attended the Milwaukee State Teachers College from 1927 to 1931 where she studied with Robert von Neumann...Category
1930s American Modern Figurative Prints
MaterialsLinocut
- "Play, " Figurative Etching Nude with Children signed by Kenneth Hayes MillerBy Kenneth Hayes MillerLocated in Milwaukee, WI"Play" is an original etching by Kenneth Hayes Miller. The artist signed the piece in pencil and in the plate. This piece features a nude figure with two smaller doll-like figures. ...Category
1920s American Modern Figurative Prints
MaterialsEtching
You May Also Like
- Seated NudeBy Richard DiebenkornLocated in Laguna Beach, CAA highly influential mid-century American artist, Richard Diebenkorn is known for his abstract landscape paintings, in particular, the "Ocean Park" series, which he exhibited when re...Category
1960s American Modern Figurative Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Alfred Bendiner, ...And So..., 1948, Republican Convention nominating DeweyBy Alfred BendinerLocated in New York, NYThe full title really should be ...And So I Give Your The Next President of the United States. The scene is the Republican Convention, in Philadelphia, in 1948. There are so many fas...Category
Mid-20th Century American Modern Portrait Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Simka Simkhovitch WPA Artist Lithograph Island Beach 1933 American ModernistBy Simka SimkhovitchLocated in Surfside, FLSimka Simkhovitch (Russian/American 1893 - 1949) signed lithograph. Pencil signed and dated "S. Simkhovitch 1933" lower center. Title "Island Beach," in pencil lower left of sheet. Numbered "44/50" in pencil lower right. (it is either Island Beach Wisconsin or New Jersey) Simka Simkhovitch (Симха Файбусович Симхович) (aka Simka Faibusovich Simkhovich) (Novozybkov, Russia May 21, 1885 O.S./June 2, 1885 N.S.—Greenwich, Connecticut February 25, 1949) was a Ukrainian-Russian Jewish artist and immigrant to the United States. He painted theater scenery in his early career and then had several showings in galleries in New York City. Winning Works Progress Administration (WPA) commissions in the 1930s, he completed murals for the post offices in Jackson, Mississippi and Beaufort, North Carolina. His works are in the permanent collections of the Dallas Museum of Art, the National Museum of American Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Born outside Kyiv (Petrograd Ukraine) into a Jewish family who owned a small department store. During a severe case of measles when he was seven, Simcha Simchovitch sketched the views outside his window and decided to become an artist, over his father's objections. Beginning in 1905, he studied at the Grekov Odessa Art School and upon completion of his studies in 1911 received a recommendation to be admitted to the Imperial Academy of Arts. Though he enrolled to begin classes in architecture, painting, and sculpture at the Imperial Academy, he was dropped from the school roster in December because of the quota on the number of Jewish students and drafted into the army. Simchovitch served as a private in the 175th Infantry Regiment Baturyn [ru] until his demobilization in 1912. Re-enrolling in the Imperial Academy, he audited classes. Simka Simkhovitch exhibited paintings and sculptures in 1918 as part of an exhibition of Jewish artists and in 1919 placed 1st in the competition "The Great Russian Revolution" with a painting called "Russian Revolution" which was hung in the State Museum of Revolution. In 1922, Simkha Simkhovitch exhibited at the International Book Fair in Florence (Italian: Fiera Internazionale del Libro di Firenze). In 1924, Simkhovitch came to the United States to make illustrations for Soviet textbooks and decided to immigrate instead. Initially he supported himself by doing commercial art and a few portrait commissions. In 1927, he was hired to paint a screen for a scene in the play "The Command to Love" by Fritz Gottwald and Rudolph Lothar which was playing at the Longacre Theatre on Broadway. Art dealers began clamoring for the screen and Simkhovitch began a career as a screen painter for the theater. Catching the attention of the screenwriter, Ernest Pascal, he worked as an illustrator for Pascal, who then introduced him to gallery owner, Marie Sterner. Simkhovitch's works appeared at the Marie Sterner Gallery beginning with a 1927 exhibit and were repeated the following year. Simkhovitch had an exhibit in 1929 at Sterner's on circus paintings. In 1931, he held a showing of works at the Helen Hackett Gallery, in New York City and later that same year he was one of the featured artists of a special exhibit in San Francisco at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park. The exhibit was coordinated by Marie Sterner and included four watercolors, including one titled "Nudes". He is of the generation of Russian Soviet artists such as Isaac Pailes, Serge Charchoune, Marc Chagall, Chana Orloff, Isaac Ilyich Levitan, and Ossip Zadkine. In 1936, Simkhovitch was selected to complete the mural for the WPA Post office project in Jackson, Mississippi. The mural was hung in the post office and courthouse in 1938 depicted a plantation theme. Painted on the wall behind the judge’s bench, “Pursuits of Life in Mississippi”, a depiction of black workers engaged in manual labor amid scenes of white professionals and socialites, was eventually covered over in later years during renovations due to its stereotypical African American imagery. The following year, his painting "Holiday" won praise at an exhibition in Lincoln, Nebraska. In 1940, Simkhovitch's second WPA post office project was completed when four murals, "The Cape Lookout Lighthouse and the Orville W. Mail Boat", "The Wreck of the Crissie Wright", "Sand Ponies" and "Canada Geese" were installed in Beaufort, North Carolina. The works were commissioned in 1938 and did not generate the controversy that the Jackson mural had. The main mural is "The Wreck of the Crissie Wright" and depicts a shipwreck which had occurred in Beaufort in 1866. "The Cape Lookout Lighthouse and the Orville W. Mail Boat" depicted the lighthouse built in 1859 and the mail boat that was running mail during the time which Simkhovitch was there. The boat ran mail for the area until 1957. "Sand Ponies" shows the wild horses common to the North Carolina barrier islands and "Canada Geese" showed the importance of hunting and fishing in the area. All four murals were restored in the 1990s by Elisabeth Speight, daughter of two other WPA muralists, Francis Speight...Category
1930s American Modern Landscape Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Alfred Bendiner, On VacationBy Alfred BendinerLocated in New York, NYNo matter the seriousness (or lack thereof) of the subject, everything is always beautifully drawn on the lithographic stone by Bendiner. In this 'Day at the Beach' scene Bendiner h...Category
1940s American Modern Animal Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Alfred Bendiner, Flic et Bonne (Gendarme and Nursemaid)By Alfred BendinerLocated in New York, NYThe world was Bendiner's oyster, but here he shows us a all we need in a small corner of Paris. It's charming and safe: the 'Flic et Bonne' (gendarme and nursemaid) are together, goi...Category
1950s American Modern Landscape Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Alfred Bendiner, Place St. Andre des Arts (Paris)By Alfred BendinerLocated in New York, NYThe Place St. Andre des Arts, on the Left Bank in Paris, would have been a natural environment for Bendiner. It was the Latin Quarter, just south of the Louvre and near everything im...Category
1950s American Modern Landscape Prints
MaterialsLithograph
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Ways To Browse
African American Mother
Biology Prints
African American Artist Still Life
African American Female Artist Paintings
Ben Shahn Cities
1930 American Empire
Ben Shahn Lithographs
American Empire Portrait
Pablo Diego
Diego Rivera Original
Empire State Building Vintage
Ben Shahn Signed Prints
Siberia Vintage
Vintage Litho Framed Prints
Ben Shahn Signed Lithographs
1886 Russia
1886 Russian
Empire State Building Painting