Ben Shahn
American · 1898–1969 · Painter, Printmaker
Ben Shahn was an American artist. He is best known for his works of social realism, his left-wing political views, and his series of lectures published as The Shape of Content. (Wikipedia)
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Record prices
BatherBonhams · $21,250≈ £12,976≈ €15,634Sign up to see
AlienationBonhams · $19,200≈ £9,768≈ €12,188Sign up to see
Cine metro rama Warner super vision D.D.D. vista vast confusion scopeCapitolium Art · €11,088≈ $13,235≈ £9,523Sign up to see
Ben Shahn’s highest prices recorded at auction, ranked in US dollars at each sale-date exchange rate and shown in the currency of the sale (with the buyer’s premium where the house publishes it).
Price trend
2 lot(s) catalogued with a qualifier (e.g. “attributed to”, “after”, “circle of”) are listed in the results but excluded from these statistics.
26 lot(s) offered at auction whose result the house did not publish are listed under “Also offered” on the results tab and excluded from these statistics.
By medium
| Medium | Offered | Sold | Sell-through | Average | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paintings | 6 | 4 | 67% | $11.4kSign up | $11kSign up | $21.3kSign up |
| Oil | 3 | 3 | 100% | $8.1kSign up | $2.9kSign up | $19.2kSign up |
| Tempera | 3 | 1 | 33% | $21.3kSign up | $21.3kSign up | $21.3kSign up |
| Works on paper | 23 | 21 | 91% | $2.2kSign up | $2kSign up | $6.3kSign up |
| Watercolor | 3 | 3 | 100% | $3.7kSign up | $3.5kSign up | $5.4kSign up |
| Gouache | 2 | 2 | 100% | $3.8kSign up | $3.8kSign up | $6.3kSign up |
| Drawing | 15 | 13 | 87% | $1.6kSign up | $1.2kSign up | $3.5kSign up |
| Prints & multiples | 64 | 55 | 86% | $1kSign up | $690Sign up | $4.1kSign up |
| Lithograph | 37 | 32 | 86% | $697Sign up | $539Sign up | $2.3kSign up |
| Screenprint | 16 | 15 | 94% | $1.6kSign up | $1.1kSign up | $4.1kSign up |
| Woodcut / linocut | 3 | 2 | 67% | $1.6kSign up | $1.6kSign up | $2.5kSign up |
| Print (other) | 8 | 6 | 75% | $1kSign up | $581Sign up | $3.6kSign up |
| Photography | 4 | 2 | 50% | $1.1kSign up | $1.1kSign up | $2kSign up |
| Photograph | 4 | 2 | 50% | $1.1kSign up | $1.1kSign up | $2kSign up |
| Other | 15 | 14 | 93% | $2.8kSign up | $1.3kSign up | $13.2kSign up |
Medium classes are derived from the medium text as published by each house; “Other” includes lots whose medium wasn’t stated.
By year
| Year | Offered | Sold | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4 | 3 | $915Sign up |
| 2025 | 22 | 21 | $1kSign up |
| 2024 | 9 | 8 | $1.1kSign up |
| 2023 | 6 | 6 | $165Sign up |
| 2022 | 6 | 4 | $550Sign up |
| 2021 | 7 | 7 | $1.6kSign up |
| 2020 | 7 | 7 | $1kSign up |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | —Sign up |
| 2018 | 8 | 7 | $800Sign up |
| 2017 | 2 | 2 | $1.8kSign up |
| 2016 | 5 | 3 | $813Sign up |
| 2015 | 3 | 1 | $938Sign up |
| 2014 | 3 | 1 | $75Sign up |
| 2013 | 7 | 6 | $390Sign up |
| 2012 | 2 | 2 | $350Sign up |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | $613Sign up |
| 2009 | 2 | 2 | $663Sign up |
| 2008 | 4 | 4 | $1kSign up |
| 2007 | 3 | 3 | $2.2kSign up |
| 2005 | 2 | 2 | $5kSign up |
| 2004 | 3 | 3 | $2kSign up |
| 2003 | 4 | 2 | $431Sign up |
| 2002 | 1 | 1 | $6.3kSign up |