Ben Shahn, The Burial Society
Ben Shahn, The Burial Society
The Burial Society originates from the wartime period, during which a gradual darkening of tones is manifested in Ben Shahn’s painting. In this small tempera on paper the artist portrays the men of the “Burial Society”: a mutual support structure belonging to Jewish tradition, formed to guarantee a dignified funeral to the members and their relatives. The latent irony and bleak realism of the image convey the disquieting atmosphere of the age, while the close-up view recalls Shahn’s activity as a photographer, committed in the campaign of documenting the rural work ordered by the government as part of the reform plan promoted by Roosevelt following the Great Depression.