Dancer was drawn on a cover of the Revue Indépendante dating from November 1886. However, the drawing may date from 1888/1889.

The revue was directed by Edouard Dujardin (1861-1949); Joris-Karl Huysmans (1848-1907) contributed the 'chronique d'art' and Stéphane Mallarmé (1842-1898), theatrical notes. Whistler was close friends with Mallarmé, who by January 1888 was planning to translate the 'Ten O'Clock' lecture. Whistler agreed to support the new volume by permitting the publication of four of his pastels (Tillie: Study in Pink and Mauve [M.0370], Note in flesh-colour gold - The Golden Blossom [M.0402], Standing nude [M.0955] and Parasol; red note [M.0957]).

Dancer, Glasgow University Library

The drawing is catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1211).