Portrait of a Baby

Mary Beale's Portrait of a Baby, dating to 1690-1730, is a work by the most prolific and well-documented female painter in seventeenth-century England. Beale was a professional portrait painter in London whose detailed notebooks, kept by her husband Charles, provide extraordinary insight into the working life of a Restoration-era artist — recording commissions, prices, and painting techniques. She trained under Robert Walker and was influenced by Sir Peter Lely.

The oil on canvas shows Beale's gentle, naturalistic approach to portraiture, with soft modeling and warm, flattering light. The tender rendering of the infant's features demonstrates her skill in capturing the delicacy and vulnerability of early childhood.