Provenance

• 1895/1898: probably sold by the artist to David Croal Thomson (1855-1930), Goupil Gallery;
• 1898/1901: bought by Humphrey Roberts (d. 1908?), London;
• 1905/1906: sold by Roberts to William Stephen Marchant (1868-1925), London art dealer.
• Before 1920: bought from John W. Simpson (1850-1920), New York, by Knoedler, New York dealers;
• By 1945: sold by Knoedler's to Alfred Heber Holbrook (1874-1974), Athens, Georgia;
• 1945: presented by Alfred Heber Holbrook to the University of Georgia, of which he was founder, in memory of his wife Eva Underhill Holbrook (1868-1940).

On 17 September 1895 Whistler wrote from Lyme Regis to the London art dealer David Croal Thomson:

'I shall have some lovely little pictures of the nature of "The little Sweet shop" - you remember - only if any thing finer in quality -

But what is the use - I dont want them to stay in England - therefore you could do nothing with them as I wish to sell no more pictures to Englishmen.' 1

It is not certain that Thomson bought this painting but Roberts certainly owned it by September 1901. 2 It was sold by Roberts at some time after Whistler's death to W. Marchant, London art dealer. 3

According to the New York art dealer William Macbeth, it was later owned by John W. Simpson, and bought from him by Knoedler's, who sold it to A. H. Holbrook of Athens, Georgia, about 1945. It was presented by him to the University of Georgia in memory of his wife in that year.

Exhibitions

• 1898: A Collection of Selected Works by Painters of the English, French & Dutch Schools, Goupil Gallery, London, 1898 (cat. no. 24) as 'The Barber's Shop'.
• 1905: Memorial Exhibition of the Works of the late James McNeill Whistler, First President of The International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers, New Gallery, Regent Street, London, 1905 (cat. no. 102) as 'Rose and Red: The Baker's Shop at Lyme Regis' (sic; listed correctly in the illustrated edition of the catalogue).

On 16 September 1901 Whistler wrote to Humphrey Roberts: 'your little picture of the "Barbers' Shop" has never been shown in London. It was kind of you to lend it to me once in Paris - and I venture now to ask you to let me have it for the International - The tiny panel is rather a favorite of mine.' 4 But it had, of course, been seen in London. In any case, the owner may have refused, for there is no record of it being exhibited in Paris or in 1901 at the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers. Whistler again tried to borrow the painting through Thomson for an exhibition in 1902, but, as far as is known, without result. 5 It was, however, lent by Roberts to the Whistler Memorial exhibition in 1905.