Olinsky received much acclaim during his lifetime for his painting. He was the recipient of numerous awards including the prestigious Carnegie Prize from the National Academy of Design in 1929. Ivan Olinsky is best known for his portraits of beautiful women and interior scenes.

Mother and Child is an excellent example of Olinsky's portraits of women. This piece differs somewhat from the artist's most common subject of a woman alone; here the artist has painted a scene of maternity. A lovely young mother is seated with her beautiful young daughter. The artist has painted a realistic portrait of his sitters, using vivid colors and detailed modeling to present both of his subjects with thoughtful expressions. Olinsky has used soft impressionistic brush strokes to hint at the floral wallpaper in the background. It is in details like this that Olinsky pays homage to the French Impressionist artists that greatly influenced him during his time in Europe, and ultimately made him recognized as a master American Impressionist.

Ivan Olinsky is known for his strong palette and simultaneously soft approach to the depiction of his sitters. This painting, measuring 36 by 40 inches, is one of the larger compositions produced by Olinsky. The painting is signed in the upper right corner, as Olinsky often signed his works, which can be seen in numerous museums including: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Detroit Museum of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago.