Provenance

• 1903: in Whistler's studio at his death and bequeathed to his sister-in-law, Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958);
• 1956: sold to Colnaghi's, London art dealers, 11 May 1956;
• 1956: bought on 31 May by Dr Sidney Charles Lewsen (d. 1994), St John's Wood, London;
• 1994: passed to Dr Lewsen's estate.
• 2000: sold at auction, Sotheby's, 21 June 2000 (lot 19) as 'The Thames Boatman' (sic);
• 2001: The Fine Art Society, London art dealers;
• 2001: bought by Patricia Cornwell, Belmont, MA;
• 2005: given by Patricia Cornwell to the Harvard Art Museums.

Exhibitions

It was not, as far as is known, exhibited in Whistler's lifetime.