a) Mayor La Guardia b) Two Figures
Ben Shahn
American, born Lithuania. 1898–1969
a) (1946) b) (c. 1946)
An ink-on-paper portrait by Ben Shahn that, in a few bold, calligraphic strokes, captures the exaggerated profile of a public official.
What strikes you is the economy of line—the large, rounded head, clipped hair marks, and a puckered mouth rendered with playful, almost caricatured strokes that make the figure feel immediate and wry.
By blending documentary immediacy with caricatured reduction, Shahn’s drawing shows how graphic simplicity can humanize and lightly critique public life, helping to shape modern political illustration and socially engaged art.
Medium
a) Gouache on paper b) Ink on paper
Dimensions
.a: 6 5/8 x 5 1/2" (17 x 13.9 cm), .b: 5 1/2 x 6 5/8" (13.9 x 17 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Iola S. Haverstick
Accession
135.1961.a-b
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
