An Orange Note: Sweet Shop was painted in St Ives, Cornwall, between January and March 1884. 1 On 4 January Whistler told Ernest George Brown (1851-1915) that he was 'tremendously busy with lots of pictures of all kinds.' 2 He described his work to a collector, Alfred Chapman (1839-1917) as 'oil paintings - little beauties.' 3

An Orange Note: Sweet Shop, Freer Gallery of Art

This painting was exhibited on his return, in his one-man show of 'Notes' - 'Harmonies' - 'Nocturnes', Messrs Dowdeswell, London, 1884 (cat. no. 38).

Whistler's output in St Ives included many small scale oil paintings, mostly seascapes, and only a few views of the town: Blue and Orange: Sweet Shop [YMSM 263], A Grey Note: Village Street [YMSM 265], and a watercolour, Penthouse of the public house in St Ives, Cornwall [M.0921].