Skip to main content

Ben Shahn Photography

American, 1898-1969
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.
to
5
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
5
5
1
1
5
5
4
3
3
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
5
58
8,180
2,804
2,504
1,306
5
Artist: Ben Shahn
Sideshow, county fair, central Ohio
By Ben Shahn
Located in New York, NY
Sideshow, county fair, central Ohio 1938/printed later Stamped “Reproduced for the Library of Congress,” verso Gelatin silver print 8 x 10 inches (20.3 x 25.4 cm)
Category

1930s Contemporary Ben Shahn Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Wife and child of sharecropper, Arkansas
By Ben Shahn
Located in New York, NY
Wife and child of sharecropper, Arkansas October, 1935 Stamped “Reproduced for the Library of Congress,” verso Gelatin silver print 8 x 10 inches (20.3 x 25.4 cm) Contact gallery...
Category

1930s Ben Shahn Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

A destitute family, Ozark Mountains area
By Ben Shahn
Located in New York, NY
A destitute family, Ozark Mountains area 1935 Stamped “Reproduced for the Library of Congress,” verso Gelatin silver print 8 x 10 inches (20.3 x 25.4 cm) Contact gallery for pric...
Category

1930s Modern Ben Shahn Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Sideshow, county fair, central Ohio
By Ben Shahn
Located in New York, NY
Sideshow, county fair, central Ohio 1938 Stamped, “Reproduced for the Library of Congress,” verso Gelatin silver print 8 x 10 inches (20.3 x 25.4 cm) C...
Category

1930s Ben Shahn Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Untitled (The Noyes School of Rhythm)
By Ben Shahn
Located in New York, NY
Vintage gelatin silver print 6 x 9 inches This photograph is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City.
Category

1930s Other Art Style Ben Shahn Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Related Items
Warren Beatty, Silver Gelatin Print
By Jack Robinson
Located in Memphis, TN
Warren Beatty (b.1937) dropped out of Northwestern University to study acting with Stella Adler. He made his film debut in Elia Kazan’s Splendor in the Grass...
Category

1960s Ben Shahn Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Reg Lancaster 'Francoise Hardy' Limited Edition Photographic Print, 30x40
By Reg Lancaster
Located in San Rafael, CA
1969: French singer, Francoise Hardy sitting on a motorbike. (Photo by Reg Lancaster/Express/Getty Images) As an authorized Getty Images Gallery partn...
Category

1950s Modern Ben Shahn Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Liz Hurley (Limited Edition of 25) - Celebrity Photography - 30x40 Print
Located in New York, NY
Elizabeth Hurley photographed by British celebrity and fashion photographer John Stoddart. This risqué iconic black and white photograph expresses her incredible figure, capturing the actress completely naked, against the head of a large Grecian bust...
Category

1990s Young British Artists (YBA) Ben Shahn Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Nude Paris Willy Ronis 20th Century French Humanist photography black and white
By Willy Ronis
Located in Paris, FR
Willy Ronis is one of the most famous members of the French Humanist photography. Silver print on photographic paper Hand-signed by the artist lower right Stamp of the artist's stud...
Category

1990s Contemporary Ben Shahn Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Daniel Craig Contact Sheet (Limited Edition of 25) - Celebrity Photography
Located in New York, NY
This is a 2002 contact sheet (a positive print of all the negative images from a roll of 35mm film or medium format film) of youthful-looking Daniel Craig...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Ben Shahn Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Nina Simone, Silver Gelatin Print
By Jack Robinson
Located in Memphis, TN
By the time she was photographed by Jack Robinson on October 30, 1969, few singers had fused gospel and pop with classical music as successfully as Nina Simone. Born as Eunice Kathl...
Category

1960s Ben Shahn Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

1970s Nightclubs of Chicago South Side - Black woman striptease dancer
Located in London, GB
"I walked into a timeless place … full of supporting actors and actresses of every conceivable role," Abramson wrote in Light: On the South Side, published by Chicago's Numero Group ...
Category

1970s Contemporary Ben Shahn Photography

Materials

Wood, Glass, Photographic Film, Archival Paper, Silver Gelatin, Photogra...

Catherine Zeta-Jones (Limited Edition of 25) - Celebrity Photography
Located in New York, NY
This 1991 fine art print features Catherine Zeta-Jones when she was a TV actress in Britain and aspiring to be a Hollywood Star. Her success in The Darling Buds of May (English comed...
Category

1990s Contemporary Ben Shahn Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Actress Gina Bellman (Limited Edition of 25) - 30x40 In - Celebrity Photography
Located in New York, NY
This iconic 1989 photograph features actress Gina Bellman posing on top of a column, accompanied by two monkeys. It was shot by celebrity and fashion phot...
Category

1980s Young British Artists (YBA) Ben Shahn Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Kabool, ‘Avenue of Trees’, Horse Exit, Black and White landscape and a stallion
Located in London, GB
Kabool, 'Avenue of Trees’, 2001 by John Reardon Edition of 2/10 Silver Gelatin Print, Mounted on Aluminium, Custom framed, UV protective Museum AR Glass This piece was part of (afte...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Ben Shahn Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin, Photographic Film, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, B...

The Hair Willy Ronis Humanist black and white photography woman naked nude
By Willy Ronis
Located in Paris, FR
Willy Ronis is one of the most famous members of the French Humanist photography. Silver print on photographic paper Hand-signed by the artist lower right Stamp of the artist's stud...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Ben Shahn Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Jane March (Limited Edition of 25) - 20x24 In. - Celebrity Photography
Located in New York, NY
This fine art print features actress and model Jane March, posed topless on the rooftop of the Hotel Le Bristol in Paris in 1992. This risqué iconic b...
Category

1990s Contemporary Ben Shahn Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Ben Shahn photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Ben Shahn photography available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Ben Shahn in silver gelatin print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 1930s and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large Ben Shahn photography, so small editions measuring 9 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Robert Capa, Murray Garrett, and Richard Avedon. Ben Shahn photography prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $100 and tops out at $100, while the average work can sell for $100.
Questions About Ben Shahn Photography
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 7, 2024
    The style of art of Ben Shahn is social realism. Artists working in this movement sought to highlight social issues by depicting scenes that showed the struggles of modern-day life. For example, Shahn produced four paintings and more than 100 drawings inspired by a 1947 mining accident that killed 111 people in Centralia, Illinois. Arguably the most famous of these works is Miner's Wives, which shows the widows of the miners in mourning. On 1stDibs, shop a variety of Ben Shahn art.

Recently Viewed

View All