Untitled

Untitled

Ben Shahn

1932

tempera

From the collection of Museum of Modern Art

About this work

This painting shows two people standing close together. The person on the left wears a dark coat with a high collar, a black hat, and a gold necklace. The person on the right has a wide-brimmed yellow hat, a dark dress, and a light scarf around their neck. Behind them, a fence and some trees are visible against a blue sky. The brushstrokes are loose and expressive, giving the figures a slightly rough look. The colors are bold but not realistic—like the bright yellow hat or the deep blue background. This painting uses tempera, a paint made from pigment mixed with a water-soluble binder.

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