Music Lovers

Trained in figure and portrait painting, Bernstein drew further inspiration from the circle of Robert Henri and modern European artists whose work she encountered abroad and in New York. She was best known for scenes of contemporary life. Bernstein also depicted social causes that she supported: women’s suffrage, immigrants’ rights, and efforts countering racial and socioeconomic discrimination.

According to a 1922 account, the painting derived from months of study of various individuals standing in line for performances at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House. Established as an alternative to the old-moneyed and discriminatory Academy of Music, the Opera House drew a more diverse cross-section of New Yorkers. The painting includes a portrait of the artist’s mother, Anne Bernstein, who faces forward in elegant black-and-white attire, holding an umbrella and program. Music Lovers was acclaimed on its debut in the National Academy annual as "stunning," with other critics noting that Bernstein was a young artist to watch.