Ann Chernow

Ann Chernow (née Levy; born February 1, 1936) is an American artist who is known for her portrait-style illustrations that evoke the images of female cinematic figures of the 1930s and 1940s. Born and raised in New York City, Chernow studied music and art from a young age and acquired an affinity for the arts. Chernow was exposed to several movies that left a lasting impression and prompted her to make the likenesses of leading ladies. Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer and Katharine Hepburn were the subjects of some of her works in the late 1990s. Chernow has worked extensively in the mediums of lithography, silkscreen, etching, and colored pencil. She currently resides in Westport, Connecticut, and serves her community through the arts.

Early life and education Born in New York City, to Mollie Citrin and Edward Levy, Chernow was the oldest of three girls. Her mother was an amateur singer and her father was a performing violinist, so she and her sisters received music and art lessons as children; Ann began at the age of five.

Work In the 1950s, Chernow's style was centered on colorful abstractions, which were influenced by Jean Dubuffet, who was famous during that period. Chernow aims to reveal the "unsentimental truth" in her art by showing an image that jogs a memory and brings about a nostalgia which her viewers can understand because they see something familiar.