Sketch after a Greek terracotta figure probably dates from 1894, when Alexander Ionides (1840-1898) asked for Whistler's help in selling Tanagra statuettes. It is possible he gave Whistler the album of photographs of the statuettes, one of which Whistler copied in the album, in 1894.

Sketch after a Greek terracotta figure, The Hunterian

The photographs were mostly made by a process patented in 1879, but some by a method that could date from any time after 1847. Whistler had met the Ionides family before 1860 and they were in a position to acquire the figurines in the sixties and seventies, when Whistler was a frequent visitor to their house. Although it is assumed that the drawing was made in the mid-1890s, this is not certain.

It was catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1419).