This delightful painting of a baby with a ball is by American artist Joan Erbe (1926-2014). Erbe graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art and studied under the Modernists, Leonard Bahr and Louis Bouche. Noted for her use of bright colors and overall playfulness. During her life she had over sixty solo shows including venues at Johns Hopkins University, the Baltimore Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.  In the painting, The Baby, the first thing one notices is the spherical shape of the head that defies the sentimental cuteness of a baby’s features. Secondly, the white lacy dress of the child and the regal pose of her holding an orb of a striped rubber ball makes the viewer think of the potential inside the child. And lastly, the lovely rattan chair as a backdrop.

Signed “Joan Erbe” upper right

Medium: oil on linen

Size of support: 20” x 16” Size of outside frame: 25 3/4” x 21 3/4”

Year of creation: 1975

Condition: Excellent clean condition, mild craquelure.