ProvenanceSir Joshua Reynolds, Lugt 2364 (1723-1792), London. Collector "TB," England, Lugt 416a (as unidentified mark), possibly Thomas Blayds (1795-1848/49), Castle Hill, Englefield Green, Surrey*; Samuel Jones Loyd, 1st Baron Overstone, London and Lockinge, Oxfordshire (until d. 1883); his daughter, Harriet Sarah Loyd-Lindsay, Lady Wantage, Carleton Gardens, London and Lockinge, Oxfordshire (1883-d. 1920);** 'A.T. Loyd, London (1920-d. 1944);* 'his son, Christopher L Loyd, Betterton House, Berkshire (from 1944). Sale, Sotheby's, New York, July 6, 1987, no. 85, for £4,620 to Ganz; [Kate Ganz, London; 1987-88; sold July 6, for £22,000, to Moir]; Alfred Moir, Santa Barbara, Calif. (1988-d. 2010; bequeathed to MIA)
*A recent Christie's drawing catalogue (London, July 3, 2007, no. 1) identifies Lugt 416a as the mark of Thomas Blayds and reports that Overstone acquired this drawing collection en bloc. According to the unnamed writer of the entry, the drawings may have been acquired in Blayds's posthumous sale, as part of lot 36, "A Collection of Drawings by Old Masters, in 2 scrapbooks," sold for 23 gns., to Thatcher. There was no such lot in either of Blayds' posthumous sales on March 23-24, 1849 and March 30-31, 1849, nor was there a sale at Christie's on the date March 29, 1849, which was noted in the entry, so this information cannot be verified. Lugt 1956 states Overstone, instead, acquired "TB" marked drawings around 1840.
**The collection was inherited by Overstone's daughter, Lady Wantage. Upon her death, her art collection was divided between two heirs: the works at Lockinge House, where most of the drawings can be traced, passed her cousin A.T. Loyd and the works at her London house went to her husband's nephew, the 27th Earl of Crawford. A.T. Loyd's posthumous sale (Sotheby's, London, November 28, 1945) grouped large lots of drawings, so it cannot be determined if the drawing was in this sale. If sold here, it would have fallen alphabetically into part of lot 2, which sold for £88, to Calmann.