Abstract
Ben Shahn’s exhibition of Sunday Paintings (1940) evidenced the metamorphosis of one of America’s foremost social realists. A variety of personal and professional factors compelled Shahn to reevaluate his artistic direction. This essay helps explain the artist’s metamorphosis by exploring 1) a shift in American art criticism in favor of modernism, and 2) Shahn’s involvement with the Resettlement/Farm Security Administration and his development of a photographic aesthetic. The aim is to elucidate primary reasons for the stylistic shift of a major twentieth-century American painter.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 11-23 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | International Journal of History and Philosophical Research |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - May 2019 |
User-Defined Keywords
- Ben Shahn
- New Deal
- Photography
- Social Realism
- Sunday Paintings