THERESA FERBER BERNSTEIN (1890-2002)

Born in present-day Poland in 1890, Theresa Bernstein was a skillful modernist who specialized in depictions of New York and its variable culture, often deriving inspiration from the city's music venues. She studied at the Philadelphia School of Design for Women in Pennsylvania before moving to New York in 1912. There, she established herself among the leading artists of the twentieth century, continuing to work well past the age of 100.

The present work is an impressive example of Bernstein's lively style of realism and bold coloration, depicting a bustling scene of a night at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House. Bernstein's work can be found in a number of museum collections, including the Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois, and Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.