Provenance

• Unknown.

The portrait may have been commissioned by the sitter, Walter Richard Sickert (1860-1942), who wrote to Whistler, possibly in December 1885 or 1886, that he had paid for his portrait, but, later, possibly in October 1887, he mentioned that £52.10.0 was outstanding ('This leaves me indebted to you for £52.10 for my portrait, to complete the 200 guineas.'). 1 It is not known if these payments were for the full-length portrait or for two smaller portraits of Sickert painted about the same time (see Sketch Portrait of Walter Sickert [YMSM 350] and Portrait Sketch of Walter Sickert [YMSM 351]).

According to the Pennells, the portrait 'vanished'. 2

Exhibitions

It was not exhibited in Whistler's lifetime.