Theresa Bernstein (1890–2002), an American painter born in Kraków, Poland, immigrated to the United States with her family at a young age. She studied at the Philadelphia School of Design for Women and the New York Art Students League, where she trained under William Merritt Chase. Bernstein quickly established herself as a successful painter in New York City, exhibiting alongside notable Ashcan School artists like John Sloan, Stuart Davis, and Robert Henri by 1914. As one of the youngest members of the Ashcan School, she spent much of the 1920s capturing the vibrant energy of New York City, focusing on its diverse residents and their everyday lives.
Though she gained early recognition for her expressive style and dynamic compositions, Bernstein’s career spanned over eight decades, resulting in a substantial body of work. Her art is represented in the permanent collections of major institutions, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the de Young Fine Art Museum in San Francisco, among others.
