Chahine was born to Armenian parents in 1874 and he spent his youth in Constantinople. He studied under Paoletti and at the Academia di Belle Arti in Venice before moving to Paris in 1895. He began making intaglio prints in the 1890's. He would later use etching, drypoint and aquatint often mixing media to create the desired effect. His work is rarely sentimental and always portrays his sitters honestly with a selective eye and a precise use of line. His work is perhaps best known for his portrayal of elegant ladies; the society women, performers, café dwellers, "femmes fatales" and shopkeepers. He is also well known for his delicate landscapes and seascapes which are often reminiscent of the work of Whistler. Chahine illustrated the book 'Impressions d'Italie, published in 1906, in which he portrayed the streets and inhabitants of Venice. This series of Fifty prints contains some of his best work. A fire and a flood in his studio towards the end of his life accounts for the rarity of his work.