The artwork, “Portrait of myself as a young boy”, created in 1943 by the artist Ben Shahn, is executed in gouache on board. It belongs to the Social Realism movement and is classified as a symbolic painting. The dimensions of the artwork are 50.8 x 70.8 cm. This piece is currently housed in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, NY, USA.
In this artwork, a group of four musicians dressed in black suits and hats are depicted playing musical instruments. The band consists of two brass players and a woodwind player, all standing in a somewhat sparse urban setting, which is characterized by a large brick building in the background. Their attention is directed towards the right side of the scene, where a young boy, presumably a representation of the artist in his youth, stands alone. The musicians appear engaged in their performance, while the boy seems to observe them from a distance. The background features a tall red-brick building with several white-trimmed windows and subtle reflections of sky blue, adding to the contrast between the figures and their surroundings. The scene feels staged yet emotive, capturing a moment frozen in time, indicative of Shahn’s ability to blend personal narrative with broader social themes.