The Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti

painting by Shahn

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June 17, 2026

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The painting \"The Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti\" by Ben Shahn depicts the controversial trial and execution of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. Sacco and Vanzetti were Italian anarchists living in the United States who were arrested in 1920 for the murder of a paymaster and guard during a robbery. Their trial in 1921 resulted in a guilty verdict, leading to their execution in 1927.12

Many believed the trial was unfair and that Sacco and Vanzetti were convicted due to their radical beliefs rather than concrete evidence. Shahn's series of paintings, created in 1931-1932, expressed strong sympathy for the defendants and brought him significant fame. The case remains a subject of debate regarding their guilt or innocence and the fairness of the legal proceedings.12

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Social Realism
Shahn’s painting The Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti (1931–32) is a bitter comment on the outcome of the famous case in which two Italian anarchists were condemned to death in a politically motivated trial. A good example of Gropper’s powerfully simplified caricatures of American public life is…
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Shahn’s painting The Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti (1931–32) is a bitter comment on the outcome of the famous case in which two Italian anarchists were condemned to death in a politically motivated trial. A good example of Gropper’s powerfully simplified caricatures of American public life is…
Read More