Provenance

Bequeathed by the artist in 1816 to James White of Exeter (1744–1825), on whose death it passed to Towne’s residuary legatee John Herman Merivale (1779–1844) and his successors. Merivale’s granddaughters Maria Sophia Merivale (1853–1928) and Judith Ann Merivale (1860–1945), both of Oxford, inherited the drawing in May 1915 within a sketchbook containing FT733 to FT751. Probably the book was among the “two small sketchbooks and five small drawings late in date” that Judith Merivale sold to Squire Gallery in 1945 for £50. By early 1946 the drawing was owned by the Fine Art Society, as on 21 or 23 January 1946 they sold it to Agnew’s (no.4400) for £31 10s. Agnew’s sold it on 1 March 1946 for £34 less commission of £1 14s. to Sir John Heathcoat Amory, Bt (1894–1972. On 27 February 1956 Amory sold it back to Agnew’s (no.8260), where on 15 January 1957 it was bought by a collector, who on 21 January 1957 sold it back to Agnew’s (no.8654). On 29 January 1958 it was bought by William B. Dalton, who gave it in 1960 to the present owner, the Art Gallery of Ontario (Acc. no.58/9).