Provenance

• 1884: bought from the artist by Wickham Flower (1835-1904);
• 1904: after his death in September 1904, sold at auction, Christie's, London, 17 December 1904 (lot 40), and bought by Colnaghi, London art dealers, for £189;
• 1904: sold by Colnaghi's to Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919), Detroit;
• 1919: bequeathed by C. L. Freer to the Freer Gallery of Art.

Wickham Flower offered £160 for An Orange Note: Sweet Shop [YMSM 264], Note in Blue and Opal: The Sun Cloud [YMSM 271] and Harmony in Brown and Gold: Old Chelsea Church [YMSM 305] but Whistler said Note in Blue and Opal: The Sun Cloud alone was priced 130 guineas in the Dowdeswell catalogue and suggested £160 for two (Note in Blue and Opal: The Sun Cloud and An Orange Note: Sweet Shop [YMSM 264]) to which Wickham Flower agreed. 1 Messrs Colnaghi bought it from Christie's, 17 December 1904 (lot 40), for £189, and sold it to C. L. Freer on 4 January 1905, with An Orange Note: Sweet Shop [YMSM 264], for £567 (Freer recorded paying only £208).

Exhibitions

• 1884: 'Notes' - 'Harmonies' - 'Nocturnes', Messrs Dowdeswell, London, 1884 (cat. no. 52) as 'Note in blue and opal – The Sun Cloud'.
• 1905: Œuvres de James McNeill Whistler, Palais de l'Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1905 (cat. no. 79).

In 1884, the critic of the Globe described this painting: 'Excellent ... in colour and keeping is the low-toned study of a green meadow with a row of cottages behind; but why does Mr. Whistler call it "The Sun Cloud" ? There is no suggestion of sunshine on the cloud or any part of the work.' 2 The Liverpool Mercury commented 'All these sketches show great executive ability, and, as usual with this artist's work, his colours seem to be laid on with a delightful appearance of ease.' 3 Walter Richard Sickert (1860-1942), who had probably been there when it was painted, admired it:

'Beauty of handling and high finish will be specially noticed in the landscapes, principally Cornish, particularly 'Blue and gold – the Schooner'; 'Harmony in brown and gold – Old Chelsea Church'; Grey and silver mist'; and 'Blue and grey Unloading'; the most brilliant in colour being a 'Note in blue and opal – the Sun Cloud.' 4

By the terms of C. L. Freer's bequest to the Freer Gallery of Art, the painting cannot be lent.