Ben Shahn (American/New York, 1898-1969) abstract oil on canvas depicting multiple faces rendered in bright colors against a dark abstract ground. Signed lower right, "Ben Shahn". Housed in a simple wood frame. Sight - 19 1/4" H x 24 3/8" W. Framed - 19 7/8" H x 24 3/4" W. Biography: Ben Shahn was a prominent painter and social critic of the early to mid 20th century. Born in Lithuania in 1898, he emigrated to the United States in his youth and was an apprentice to a lithographer in New York before pursuing related studies at New York University, and subsequently the National Academy of Design. His relationships with other notable figures of the time, such as photographer Walker Evans, labor leader Tom Mooney, and muralist Diego Rivera, influenced his social realist style and medium. Shahn went on to paint murals and create graphics for federal agencies such as the Farm Security Administration, Office of War Information, and the Congress of Industrial Organizations. Each piece reflects his attention to social issues such as labor conditions, anti-semitism, and human rights. Institutions that have exhibited his work include but are not limited to, The Museum of Modern Art, The Smithsonian American Art Museum, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. (adapted from Encyclopedia of World Biography, Who was Who in American Art, and AskArt).