La Sylphide may have been painted in Paris at some time between 1896 and 1900. 1

La Sylphide, The Hunterian

The form of the butterfly signature indicates such a date. It was seen in Whistler's studio in 1902 by Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919), Detroit, who described it as a 'Young girl with whitish grey drapery over shoulders and arm - front nude. chair in distance at her right, in her left hand a red fan - on her head a pale red cap V f.' (meaning 'Very fine'). 2