Edgar Chahine was born in
Vienna but moved to
Constantinople at a very young age. There he began his studies under the financial support of his father who was the director of the
Ottoman Bank. His artistic abilities were soon noticed by his professor, Melkon Tiratzuyan, who advised him to pursue his studies in Italy in order to participate in a more active artistic environment. He then moved to
Venice, where he attended the prestigious
Armenian
Moorat-Raphael College. He studied under Antonio Ermolao Paoletti at the renowned
Academia di Belle Arti. Chahine continued to have exhibitions at the Salon until 1899. In these exhibitions, Chahine included his art series called "Lamentable Life" which features the tables of poor people. In 1900, his prints earned him a gold medal at the
Universal Exhibition in
Paris. In 1903, he won another gold medal at the
Venice Biennale. He became a naturalized French citizen in 1925 and was awarded the
Légion d'Honneur in 1932. In 1926, many of Chahine's prints were destroyed in a fire. A flood in 1942 destroyed many more. == Legacy ==