Where There is a Book There is No Sword

Art Historical Context

Ben Shahn’s 0 screenprint *Where Is a Book There No Sword* offers a powerful visual statement on the enduring value of knowledge over violence. Created just five years after the end of World War II, the work’s title suggests a hopeful message about education and ideas as alternatives to conflict during the emerging Cold War era. Shahn, who frequently addressed social and humanitarian concerns in his art, uses the print medium to reach a broad audience with this message of peace and learning. As a screenprint, the work exemplifies a technique that gained prominence in the mid-twentieth century...