William Merritt Chase (1849-1916) oli merkittävä yhdysvaltalainen impressionisti ja taideopettaja. Tunnettu valovoimaisista muotokuvistaan ja kaupunkielämästä, hän loi pohjan amerikkalaiselle taiteelle.
Chase and his wife, Alice, had eight children, all of whom appeared in the artist"s portraits and figure studies. This portrait is of Roland Dana Chase (1901–1980), the Chases" youngest son. Writing in "Harper"s Weekly" in 1901, a critic applauded: "Witness the portrait of "Roland," who is depicted with splendid brush-work as a rollicking brown rogue, holding in his admirable baby hand the only note of color—a red ball."