Balancing Acrobat
1940s-1960s
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
pen and black ink on wove paper
Dimensions
sheet: 24.92 × 15.24 cm (9 13/16 × 6 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Corcoran Collection (Gift of Olga Hirshhorn)
Accession Number
2015.19.3420
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Balancing Acrobat* (1940s–1960s), a dynamic drawing by Ben Shahn, the Lithuanian-born American artist celebrated for his sharp social commentary and humanist themes. Rendered in pen and black ink on wove paper, this intimate work measures just 9 13/16 × 6 inches, inviting close contemplation of its poised figure. Shahn, active during a turbulent era of economic upheaval and global conflict, often captured the dignity and precariousness of everyday performers and laborers, making this acrobat a poignant emblem of balance amid uncertainty. Shahn's mastery shines in his economical ye...