Provenance

• 1880: sold after Whistler's bankruptcy, at auction, Sotheby, London, 12 February 1880 (84) as 'A nude female figure',and bought by 'James'.

On 12 February 1880 Thomas Way (1837-1915) wrote to tell Whistler 'the little nude from the Grosvenor' had fetched £4.0.0. 1

Details are given in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 696)

Exhibitions

• 1879: possibly III Summer Exhibition, Grosvenor Gallery, London, 1879 (cat. no. 267) as one of 'Three Studies in Chalk and Pastel'.

If the title at the Grosvenor means that three drawings were mounted together, rather than that the subject was three figures, then they could have been r.: Standing nude holding a bowl; v.: Study for 'Variations in Blue and Green' [M.0349], Seated woman with red hair [M.0365], r.: Nude leaning on a rail; v.: Standing figure [M.0415].

Two other pictures exhibited at the Grosvenor were probably r.: Maud Franklin; v.: Study of Maud Franklin [M.0693] and Study: Seated Figure [M.0694].