Skip to main content

Ben Shahn Portrait 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
3
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
3
3
1
3
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
54
2,700
1,400
751
725
3
Artist: Ben Shahn
Wife and child of sharecropper, Arkansas

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 Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

A destitute family, Ozark Mountains area

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 Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Untitled (The Noyes School of Rhythm)
Untitled (The Noyes School of Rhythm)

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 Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Related Items
Ted Higby at Skyline Rodeo, 1928
Ted Higby at Skyline Rodeo, 1928

Ted Higby at Skyline Rodeo, 1928

By Lora Webb Nichols

Located in New York, NY

Listing includes framing with UV plexiglas, free shipping and a 14 day return policy. Ted Higby at Skyline Rodeo, 1928 15 x 12 inch gelatin silver print Image Size: 14 x 8.5 inches Frame size: 22.5 x 17.5 x 2 inches Edition of 15 Lora Webb Nichols was born in 1883 and grew up in the small mining town of Encampment, Wyoming. At the age of 16 Lora received her first camera and from that moment and for the next few decades she produced work that is both stunning in its singular voice and revealing in the world it opens up for us. At first Nichols photographed her family, friends, and the landscape around Encampment, but when the town experienced a copper mining boom Nichols expanded her scope to become a photographer for hire shooting portraits and industrial photographs. When the boom collapsed, Nichols took the risk of opening her own business in Encampment - The Rocky Mountain Studio - which opened in 1925. The studio ran for ten years, accumulating 24,000 negatives that illustrate the lives and environment of the people living in and around the town while creating a distinctive and surprising body of work. If one was to attempt an analogy – Nichols’ pictures fit somewhere between Lartigue and Lange - joyful and generous while objectively intimate. In particular what seems to distinguish Nichols’ work is the way she sees the world from a female perspective. As Vince Aletti...

Category

1920s Other Art Style Ben Shahn Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Terry O'Neill 'Sean Connery as Bond' (Sheriff)

Terry O'Neill 'Sean Connery as Bond' (Sheriff)

By Terry O'Neill

Located in New York, NY

Terry O'Neill Sean Connery as Bond 1971 (printed later) silver gelatin print 20 x 16 inches Estate signature stamped and numbered edition of 50 with certificate of authenticity Scot...

Category

1960s Modern Ben Shahn Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Untitled Portrait
Untitled Portrait

Untitled Portrait

By Seydou Keïta

Located in New York, NY

Listing includes framing with UV Plexi ($900 value), free shipping, and a 14-day return policy. Seydou Keïta Untitled Portrait, 1952 - 1955 (02158) 23...

Category

1950s Ben Shahn Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Audrey Hepburn with a Dove 1966 Signed Limited Edition Framed Print
Audrey Hepburn with a Dove 1966 Signed Limited Edition Framed Print

Audrey Hepburn with a Dove 1966 Signed Limited Edition Framed Print

By Terry O'Neill

Located in London, GB

A contemplative Audrey Hepburn with a dove perched on her shoulder, 1966. TITLE: Hepburn with a Dove 1966 PHOTO: Terry O’Neill SIGNED LIMITED EDITION (LAST AVAILBLE COPY OF THIS SIZ...

Category

1960s Ben Shahn Portrait Photography

Materials

Black and White, Silver Gelatin

Mother with Sons, 3rd Ward, Houston, TX - Vintage Print, Neighborhood
Mother with Sons, 3rd Ward, Houston, TX - Vintage Print, Neighborhood

Mother with Sons, 3rd Ward, Houston, TX - Vintage Print, Neighborhood

By Earlie Hudnall Jr.

Located in Denton, TX

Signed, titled, dated and print type in pencil on print verso Vintage gelatin silver print Earlie Hudnall, who is one of the most notable African American photographers living today, has extensively documented the African American neighborhoods in Houston, Texas. After serving as a Marine in Vietnam, he enrolled at Texas Southern University, where he studied art under the direction of John Biggers, who became a great friend and mentor. During his time at TSU, he was hired to be a photographer for the Model Cities Program, part of Lyndon Johnson...

Category

20th Century Modern Ben Shahn Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Floral Pattern - Original photograph
Floral Pattern - Original photograph

Floral Pattern - Original photograph

By Dora Maar

Located in Paris, IDF

Dora MAAR Floral Pattern Original silver print made from the original 1935 negative Authenticated by the Succession stamp on the reverse (see photo) Limited edition of 5 copies (her...

Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Ben Shahn Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Kate Moss During a Night Out, 2007 Silver Gelatin Print, Signed, 24x20

Kate Moss During a Night Out, 2007 Silver Gelatin Print, Signed, 24x20

By Greg Brennan

Located in New York, NY

Kate Moss is photographed during a night out at the Donmar Warehouse in Covent Garden in London on the 16th of January in 2007. The British supermodel and businesswoman rose to fame ...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Ben Shahn Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Happy Marilyn (1956) - Silver Gelatin Fibre Print

Happy Marilyn (1956) - Silver Gelatin Fibre Print

Located in London, GB

Happy Marilyn (1956) - Silver Gelatin Fibre Print (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images) American film star Marilyn Monroe (1926 - 1962) outside her home at Englefield Green. A...

Category

1950s Modern Ben Shahn Portrait Photography

Materials

Black and White, Silver Gelatin

Douglas Kirkland 'Brigitte Bardot, Mexico'

Douglas Kirkland 'Brigitte Bardot, Mexico'

By Douglas Kirkland

Located in New York, NY

Douglas Kirkland Brigitte Bardot, Mexico (Cards) 1965 Silver gelatin print Numbered and Signed by Douglas Kirkland Edition of 24 French actress Brigitte Bardot photographed on set o...

Category

1960s Modern Ben Shahn Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Going Home
Going Home

Earlie Hudnall Jr.Going Home, 1992

$4,600

H 20 in W 16 in D 0.07 in

Going Home

By Earlie Hudnall Jr.

Located in Denton, TX

Gelatin silver print Paper size: 20 x 16 in., Image size: 18 3/4 x 15 in. Signed, titled, and dated by Earlie Hudnall, Jr. Earlie Hudnall, who is one of the most notable African Ame...

Category

1990s Contemporary Ben Shahn Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Lumberjack (1939) Silver Gelatin Fibre Print - Oversized

Lumberjack (1939) Silver Gelatin Fibre Print - Oversized

Located in London, GB

Lumberjack (1939) Silver Gelatin Fibre Print - Oversized (Photo by Dorothea Lange/Alamy) An unemployed lumberjack with his wife in a migrant workers camp for the bean harvest, Marion County, Oregon, circa 1939. Additional Information: Unframed Paper Size: 30x40'' Printed Later Silver Gelatin Fibre Print NOTE OTHER SIZES OF THIS IMAGE AVAILABLE 10 x 12'' 12 x 16'' 16 x 20'' 20 x 24'' 20 x 30'' 30 x 40'' FRAMING AVAILABLE ON REQUEST ACTORS ON SET, Bette Davis, Ladies Fashion, LEADING LADIES, Black and White, Photography, BnW, Vintage, Retro, Classic, Wood Cutter...

Category

1930s Modern Ben Shahn Portrait Photography

Materials

Black and White, Silver Gelatin

Ali In Training (1966) - Silver Gelatin Fibre Print

Ali In Training (1966) - Silver Gelatin Fibre Print

Located in London, GB

Ali In Training (1966) - Silver Gelatin Fibre Print (Photo by R. McPhedran/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) American heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali throws bare-handed punches in the ri...

Category

1960s Modern Ben Shahn Portrait Photography

Materials

Black and White, Silver Gelatin

Ben Shahn portrait photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Ben Shahn portrait 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 portrait photography, so small editions measuring 9 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Morris Engel, William Klein, and Jeffrey Silverthorne. Ben Shahn portrait 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 Portrait 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.