Provenance

• 1900: bought from Alexander Reid (1854-1928) , Glasgow art dealer, by John James Cowan (1846-1936) , Edinburgh;
• 1901: returned by Cowan to Whistler;
• 1903: in Whistler's studio at his death;
• 1904: returned by Whistler's executrix, Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958) to J. J. Cowan.
• Before 1951: owned by Miss Gwendoline Elizabeth Davies (1882-1951) and Margaret Sidney Davies (1884-1963) , Gregynog, Wales;
• 1960: sold by Miss Margaret S. Davies, Newtown, Montgomeryshire, at auction, Sotheby's, London, 4 May 1960 (lot 120), and bought by Julius H. Weitzner (1896-1986) , London dealer, for £600;
• February 1961: sold by Lawrence A. Fleischman (ca 1926-d. 1997) , art dealer, to Hirschl & Adler, New York;
• December 1961: bought from Hirschl & Adler by Steven Juvelis (b. 1921) , Marblehead, MA;
• May 1962: sold by Juvelis to the Vose Gallery, Boston;
• July 1962: sold by Vose to Roderic Henderson (fl. 1962) but returned;
• 1962: sold by the Vose Gallery to the Newark Museum, 10 September 1962, for $2300 (Felix Fuld Bequest).

According to Whistler, a small head of a girl, painted by him, was stolen from his studio in Paris. 1 Other references, though confusing, suggest that this was Study of a Girl's Head but that it had not necessarily been stolen. According to the records of the art dealer Alexander Reid he had sold J. J. Cowan a 'Head' by Whistler, which was probably this painting, in April 1900 for £135. 2 J. J. Cowan confirmed the price:

'The small head I gave £135 for & I have Reid's offer to take it back on demand for £150 after the expiry of one year from 1st April 1900 - That might indicate his bona fides? I don't remember that he wished it kept dark.

As you know I only told you of the big head, when doubts were thrown on the character of "the Bridesmaid"!

I admit I was completely taken in by the small panel.' 3

Describing it as 'The Bridesmaid', Cowan returned the painting to Whistler, stating:

'As to the "Bridesmaid" I had never dreamt of anyone attempting to forge your work. I had a very short look at the picture, and it was only afterwards that the signature & a suspicion of sentiment began to shake my faith!' 4

By October 1901 Whistler had identified two 'defective and purloined pictures' bought from Reid, as well as this smaller painting. 5 Whistler urged Cowan to write to Reid:

'... say that Mr Whistler declares both the pictures Mr Reid has sold to you to have been taken from his studio without his knowledge or consent - He claims them as his own property - and says moreover that they have been tampered with & painted upon - and that you cannot & will not for a moment entertain such a condition of things!' 6

This Cowan was reluctant to do, and indeed, as his lawyers pointed out, under Scottish law any such accusation would have to be investigated by the Public Prosecutor. 7 Not only that, but according to another art dealer, Edward Guthrie Kennedy (1849-1932), some paintings had not been stolen at all, but sold at a time that Whistler was hard up, and although he involved various dealers and lawyers, he eventually dropped the case. 8

It appears that Whistler did not return the painting to Cowan, and it was still in Whistler's studio at his death in 1903. On 19 October 1904 Whistler's executrix, Miss R. Birnie Philip, in accordance with Whistler's expressed wishes, attached a notice to the painting of a 'Small head of girl. Black dress & buttons', which read 'This picture was removed from Mr. Whistler's studio without his knowledge and worked on by some person unknown'. 9 She probably then returned the painting to Cowan. However, there is a long gap in the provenance at this time, until 1951, when it was lent by the Misses Gwendoline and Margaret Davies, Gregynog, to an exhibition in Aberystwyth 1951 (cat. no. 58) as 'Study of a girl's head'. Thereafter the provenance is complete, if complicated.

Exhibitions

• It was not exhibited in Whistler's lifetime.