UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

The copper plate bears the maker's oval stamp: 'HUGHES & KIMBER (LIMITED) / MANUFACTURERS / LONDON E.C.' It is the same size as a large number of plates including London scenes (i.e. Nut Shop, St James's Place, Houndsditch 356), Jubilee subjects (i.e. The Visitors' Boat 303), views on the continent (i.e. The Barrow - Quartier des Marolles, Brussels 346, Little Drawbridge, Amsterdam 448), on Whistler's honeymoon (i.e. Château de Verneuil, Touraine 408) and a couple of figure subjects (i.e. Cameo, No. 1 (Mother and Child) 459). Most of these date from 1887 or 1888 and the Amsterdam plate from 1889. However, a small group of similar sized Paris subjects (this, Greengrocer's Shop, Paris 471, Little Terrace, Luxembourg Gardens 443 and Bébés, Jardin du Luxembourg 463) may date from later.

The plate was in Whistler's studio at his death and was bequeathed to Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958), who gave it to the University of Glasgow in 1935. It was cancelled posthumously with a diagonal line across the lower right corner.