The Little London Sparrow probably dates from 1896 or 1897. 1

The Little London Sparrow, Private collection

A visitor described Whistler at work on this portrait or another of the same sitter:

'My wife and I paid a pleasant and entertaining visit to Whistler in the February of this year, at the very shabby quarters he was then occupying at 8 Fitzroy Street, a poor habitation for one so richly endowed. He was engaged at the time in painting a pretty child he had found in the neighbouring street, "a little London sparrow" he called her, "brought up on gin." He had made, so far as he had gone, a lovely picture of half tones that seemed vibrating all over the canvas.' 2

In October 1897 Whistler wrote from Paris to the art dealer Edward Guthrie Kennedy (1849-1932) of Wunderlich's, asking if he was still interested in buying 'the little London waif - The London sparrow.' 3

According to Whistler's sister-in-law, Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958), it was varnished in 1902; the collector Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919) said it was 'finished' in 1902. 4