"In this bold drawing, characteristic of Sargent's hand, the differentiation of texture and tone has been accomplished by varying both the pressure and the direction of the strokes. Sargent has used the same pencil throughout the composition. The area of white chalk on the back of the sofa was probably used to eliminate unwanted lines."
Grenville L. Winthrop purchased the drawing from Scott and Fowles for $750 in 1919.
(Harvard)
Birnbaum, Martin, John Singer Sargent, William E. Rudge's Sons, NY, 1941, p. 65, repr.
Meder, Joseph, The Mastery of Drawing, Abaris Books, 1978, pl. 266
Ratcliff, Carter, John Singer Sargent, Abbeville Press, 1982, p. 82, fig. 113
Fairbrother, Trevor, Sargent Portrait Drawings, Dover Publications, 1983, cat. 4