Provenance

• Before 1904: sold by William Graham (1841-1910) to Edwin Bradbury Haskell (1837-1907) , Auburndale, NY;
• 1907: passed by family descent to E. B. Haskell's son, Dr Henry Hill Haskell (1869-1944) and grand-daughter, Marcia Hill Haskell (1902-1982) ;
• 1947: sold by M. H. Haskell to the Babcock Gallery, New York;
• 1948-1951: with art dealers, the Babcock Gallery and Knoedler's, New York.
• By 1980: with John Lamb (dates unknown) , Mount Kisco, New York.
• By 1995: private collection.

It was said to have been given by Whistler to the artist William Graham, but since it is not by Whistler this seems unlikely. Graham sold it to E. B. Haskell who lent it to the Boston Whistler memorial exhibition in 1904. It passed by family descent to Marcia Hill Haskell, who sold it to the Babcock Gallery in November 1947 for $900. It was lent by Knoedler's to an exhibition in Sarasota in 1949 (cat. no. 26), and by the Babcock Gallery to the exhibition American Tradition, 1800–1900, National Academy of Design, New York, 1951 (cat no. 145), in both cases as 'Girl with Fan'. It is not known when it was acquired by John Lamb or later owners.

It was seen by the authors of this catalogue on temporary deposit with an art dealer in New York.

Exhibitions

Oil Paintings, Water Colors, Pastels and Drawings: Memorial Exhibition of the Works of Mr. J. McNeill Whistler, Copley Society, Boston, 1904 (cat. no. 8) as 'Sketch of a Girl':

Not exhibited in Whistler's lifetime.