Singing at the Piano

1950s-1960s

Ben Shahn

Associated Names
Ben Shahn

Artist, American, born Russia (now Lithuania), 1898 - 1969

The image shows two figures displaying their upper bodies. The figure on the left is standing at a slight angle facing the figure on the right. He has a simple facial structure with glasses and short hair, wearing a suit jacket with a shirt and tie, and his right hand resting on a piano top. The figure on the right is seated at a piano, slightly turned towards the left figure. He has distinct facial features with a prominent nose and basic eyes, and short-cropped hair. He wears a jacket and buttoned shirt, with both hands positioned over the piano keys as if playing. The background is a plain surface, highlighting the interaction between the figures and the piano.
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Artwork overview


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

George Biddle, Croton-on-Hudson, New York; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1974; acquired 2015 by the National Gallery of Art

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1980

  • That’s Entertainment, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1980

2013

  • Recent Acquisitions: American Art from the Johns Collection, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 2013-2014

Bibliography

1983

  • Simmons, Linda Crocker and with the assistance of Adrianne J. Humphrey, et al. American Drawings, Watercolors, Pastels, and Collages in the Collection of the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Washington, DC: Corcoran Gallery of Art, 1983: p. 193, no. 1302.

Inscriptions

lower left in graphite: For George Biddle -; lower right in black ink: Ben Shahn

Wikidata ID

Q64537195

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