Ben Shahn's Social Realism Resonates Anew in Major Retrospective

Certain artists are defined by a single work that encapsulates their creative vision.

The extensive retrospective currently on view at New York’s Jewish Museum illuminates Ben Shahn’s artistic mission through a compelling 1940 painting titled “Contemporary American Sculpture.” The piece portrays a gallery at the Whitney Museum showcasing sculptures from that year’s national artist survey. However, Shahn—excluded from the exhibition—imagines the surrounding gallery walls covered instead with his own social realist paintings.

His paintings reveal vivid scenes from everyday life during the Great Depression: dilapidated workers’ housing, a farmer by his shack, and impoverished Black women in a welfare hospital. These images seem to break through the museum walls, exposing the harsh realities beyond, reminiscent of Renaissance murals that opened church walls to biblical narratives.

“Contemporary American Sculpture” embodies the core themes of the retrospective, titled “Ben Shahn, On Nonconformity.” The exhibition highlights how Shahn used traditional painting to confront the pressing social issues of his era, making them immediate and palpable. This approach resonates strongly today amid current societal challenges.

During roughly a decade spanning World War II, Shahn was celebrated as a major figure in American art, receiving a significant exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art and representing the United States alongside Abstract Expressionist Willem de Kooning at the 1954 Venice Biennale.

Nevertheless, as Cold War politics shifted the art world's focus toward Abstract Expressionism, Shahn’s leftist views contributed to a gradual decline in his critical acclaim. Since then, his work has seen limited revival. The current show—the first major U.S. survey since 1976—is drawn from a successful 2023 exhibition at Madrid’s Reina Sofía Museum and features 175 artworks, photographs, and related materials. Its arrival in New York came after considerable efforts to secure an American venue.