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A Chelsea street, Yale Center for British Art, New Haven

The title "A Chelsea street with a donkey on the right" was inscribed on a label on the verso by Harold Wright (1885-1961) of Colnaghi's, possibly with information from Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958); the 'Chelsea' was crossed out and amended to read, incorrectly, 'Paris', by an unidentified writer 'JBS'.

The shop represented was probably either the tobacconist, James Nicholas, at 34 Church Street in Chelsea, or another tobacconist and newsagent, James William Nicholas, who was at 88 Cheyne Walk in 1881 and had moved to 75 Cheyne Walk by 1893. The wine-merchants, George Nicholas and Son, were then at 3 Abchurch Lane, which was further from Whistler's usual haunts.