Warsaw, 1943

Artist Ben Shahn (American, Lithuanian-born, 1898 - 1969)

Date1963

PeriodPostwar

Place CollectedUnited States, North America

MediumScreenprint in black and brown (or offset photolithograph) on Japon paper

DimensionsFramed: 110.6 x 88.2 x 3.4 cm (43 9/16 x 34 3/4 x 1 5/16 in.)
91.8 x 69.4 cm (36 1/8 x 27 5/16 in.)

Credit LineGift of Mr. Michael Berg, 2016

Object number2016.1.2

On View

Not on view

InscribedThe text that is recited on Yom Kippur and Tisha B'av is found below the figure. It translates to: "These martyrs I will remember, and my soul is torn with sorrow. In the days of our trials, there is no one to help us."

SignedBen Shahn

Label TextRacism and anti-Semitism formed the basis of Nazi ideology, with Jews and other minorities referred to as Untermensch (subhuman). Although harsh, anti-Jewish restrictions began much earlier, from 1939 Jews in Nazi-occupied areas of Europe were forced from their homes and confined in ghettos—overcrowded areas where many died from disease and starvation. The Warsaw Ghetto in Poland was the largest, with 460,000 people crammed into just over a square mile of land. In 1943, inhabitants led an uprising, the largest single revolt by Jews during World War II. Over 13,000 people died during the uprising, with nearly all survivors deported to the Treblinka extermination camp. Here, Shahn commemorates the destruction with a single figure whose face is hidden behind clenched fists. Below the figure is text recited on Yom Kippur and Tisha B’av, which translates as: “These martyrs I will remember, and my soul is torn with sorrow. In the days of our trials, there is no one to help us."

Place CollectedUnited States, North America

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