THE POWER OF HER PAINTBRUSH

Jewish painter Theresa Bernstein (1890-2002) fought to get a foothold in the male-dominated art world.

Gifted with a photographic memory, Bernstein began sketching and painting as a child. After attending the Philadelphia School of Art and Design for Women, she struggled to establish herself as an artist. When one of Bernstein’s paintings was defaced right before a contest, she worked through the night to re-create it and won first prize. That sense of determination comes through strongly throughout; though a female fellow artist told her she was better off pursuing secretarial work, Bernstein persisted, and when she discovered that male painters were given more opportunities for solo shows, she started signing her work “T. Bernstein.” She faced antisemitism as well; on a trip to Gloucester, Massachusetts, she had to stay in a friend’s attic, as no inns in the area would give her a room. Despite hardship, she became a highly regarded artist. Bernstein lived to the astonishing age of 111 and continued to paint, even when a broken arm at age 106 landed her in the hospital. Hechter’s text is well researched, detailed, easy to follow, and accessible to children. Her appropriately painterly illustrations burst with color and contain effective reproductions of Bernstein’s art. Bright freeform endpapers introduce the subject perfectly.

An inspiring account of an artist who fought misogyny at each turn—and triumphed.