Ben Shahn

Artist and poster designer Ben Shahn (1898-1969) was born in Lithuania and came to New York as a child with his family. He was apprenticed to a lithographer and in 1930 made his first trip to Europe, studying in Paris and travelling to Italy, Spain and North Africa. Shahn's work has a distinct social context, at first springing from political incidents but later depicting the emotions of individuals and groups in a poster-like style. Shahn is sometimes compared with Klee for his use of symbols and colour. From 1942 his work as a poster designer in the Office of War information led to a fruitful post-war career working as a graphic designer for art directors and advertisers at magazines such as Harper's and Vogue. We stock two examples of what are now called "vintage posters" designed by Ben Shahn.