θɹuː hɪz mˈʌðɚ hiː wʌzɐ mˈɛmbɚɹ ʌvðə mˈɪdəlklˈæs mˌɪtʃlɪszˈænski klˈæn wˌɪtʃ ɪŋklˈuːdᵻd hɪz kˈʌzən, lˈeɪɾɚ ɹᵻnˈeɪmd æz bɜːnˈɑːɹd bˈɛɹɛnsən, ðɪ ˈɑːɹt hɪstˈoːɹiən.
Through his mother he was a member of the middle-class Michliszanski clan which included his cousin, later renamed as Bernard Berenson, the art historian.