Provenance

• 1885/1886: probably commissioned by the sitter, Walter Richard Sickert (1860-1942) ;
• 1904: presented by Sickert to the Gallery of Modern Art, which was being established by Sir Hugh Percy Lane (1875-1915) in Dublin;
• 1908: The Municipal Gallery of Modern Art established in 1908 was later renamed "Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane".

Sickert wrote to Whistler, possibly in December 1885 or 1886, that he had paid for his portrait, but, later, possibly in October 1887, he mentioned that £52.10.0 was outstanding ('This leaves me indebted to you for £52..10 for my portrait, to complete the 200 guineas.'). 1 It is not known if these payments were for the full-length portrait, Portrait of Walter Sickert [YMSM 349], or for one of the two smaller portraits of Sickert painted about the same time (see Portrait Sketch of Walter Sickert [YMSM 351]).

Exhibitions

It was not exhibited in Whistler's lifetime.