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 (BP247). In January 1936 Judith Merivale sold it for £26 to Squire Gallery. Possibly it was purchased from Milling by the Fine Art Society, as it was sold by them on 10 June 1936 for £36 15s. to R. Skinner. It was certainly acquired by Margaret Pilkington (1891–1974) in or before 1938, however, as then she gave it to the present owner, the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester (D.4.1938/1721).