Van Ersche Painting Appraisal

Mid-Century Expressionist Portrait of a Woman by Van Ersche

This is a mid-century expressionist oil painting on board or canvas depicting a portrait of a young woman wearing a white headscarf. The artwork is signed 'Van Ersche' in the upper left corner. The stylistic execution features a melancholic, elongated aesthetic reminiscent of Modigliani or the French Expressionist Jean Jansem. The figure is characterized by large, hollowed dark eyes, a slender neck, and a somber palette of muted blues, earthy reds, and grey-toned flesh. The paint application appears impasto in areas with visible brushwork and texture throughout the subjects clothing and the background. The work is housed in a period-appropriate gold-finished wooden frame with a decorative fillet. Regarding condition, there are minor abrasions and surface dirt consistent with age, along with slight chipping on the upper edge of the frame's gilt finish and some light staining on the inner linen or wooden liner. The overall composition exhibits a strong late 20th-century modernist influence, likely dating from the 1960s to 1970s.