Cubist Abstract Oil Painting BEN SHAHN (1898-1969)

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NO RESERVE!!! Vintage modern abstract cubist oil painting by the New York a rtist BEN SHAHN (1898-1969). Painted on board measuring 11 1/2" X 15" end to end. Signed at the lower left "Ben Shahn". VERY BEAUTIFUL!!!! Gorgeous color, detail, and style. Tested under strong blacklight, all is consistent. Will make a great addition to your collection!!! Enjoy!!! TO VIEW A GALLERY OF ALL OF OUR OTHER CURRENT AUCTIONS PLEASE CLICK : GALLERY Will make a great addition to any fine art collection!!! Enjoy!!! Shipping and Handling will be $10.00 within the continental U.S.. Winner pays shipping. International bidders please inquire for shipping prices and availability... Feel free to email any questions to: . Thanks & Good Luck!!! Biography:BEN SHAHN (1898-1969)Shahn was born in Kovno (Kaunas), Russian Empire, to Joshua Hessel and Gittel (Lieberman) Shahn. His father was exiled to Siberia for alleged revolutionary activities in 1902, at which point Shahn, his mother, and his three younger siblings moved to Vilkomir (Ukmergė). In 1906, the family immigrated to the United States w they rejoined Hessel, who had fled Siberia. They settled in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. Shahn began his path to becoming an artist in New York, w 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.Although Shahn attended New York University as a biology student on 1919, he went on to pursue art at City College in 1921 and then at the National Academy of Design. After his marriage to Tillie Goldstein in 1924, the two traveled through North Africa and then to Europe, w he made "the traditional artist pilgrimage."[1] T he studied great European artists such as Henri Matisse, Raoul Dufy, Georges Rouault, Pablo Picasso and Paul Klee. Contemporaries who would make a profound impact on Shahn’s work and career include artists Walker Evans, Diego Rivera and Jean Charlot.[1]Shahn was dissatisfied with the work inspired by his travels, claiming that the pieces were unoriginal. [1] Shahn eventually outgrew his pursuit of European modern art; he, instead, redirected his efforts toward a realist style which he used to contribute to social dialogue.[2]The 23 gouache paintings of the trials of Sacco and Vanzetti communicated the political concerns of his time, rejecting academic prescriptions for subject matter. The Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti was exhibited in 1932 and received acclaim from both the public and critics. This series gave Shahn the confidence to cultivate his personal style, regardless of society’s art standards. [3]Shahn's subsequent series of California labor leader Tom Mooney won him the recognition of Diego Rivera.[1] In May and June of 1933, he served as an assistant to Diego Rivera while Rivera executed the infamous Rockefeller Center mural. Shahn had a role in fanning the controversy, by circulating a petition among the workers. Also during this period, Shahn met photojournalist Bernarda Bryson, who would later become his second wife. Although this marriage was successful, the mural, his 1934 project for the Public Works of Art Projects and proposal for the Municipal Art Commission were all failures. [1] Fortunately, in 1935, Shahn was recommended by Walker Evans, a friend and former roommate, to Roy Stryker to join the photographic group at the Farm Security Administration (FSA). As a member of the FSA group, Shahn traveled and documented the American south alongside Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange and other photographers. Like his earlier photography of New York City, Shahn’s FSA work can be viewed as social-documentary.[2] Similarly, Shahn’s New Deal art for the FSA and Resettlement Agency exposed American living and working conditions. He also worked for these agencies as a graphic artist and painter. S... read more

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