Provenance

• 1891-1894: discussions took place on a proposed wall panel for Bates Hall in Boston Public Library;
• 1894: a wall panel was commissioned from Whistler by the Trustees of Boston Public Library;
• 1895: the commission was withdrawn;
• 1903: the oil sketch was in Whistler's studio at his death and bequeathed to his ward and executrix, Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958) ;
• 1950: given by Miss R. Birnie Philip to the Boston Public Library.

See the DATE tab for further details of the history of this painting.

Exhibitions

It was not exhibited in Whistler's lifetime.