The studio of the artist (and sold: Hôtel Drouot, Paris, February, 1884)
M. Camentron, Paris
Galerie Durand-Ruel, Paris (acquired from the above on August 12, 1897)
Thérèse de Montfort, Paris (acquired from the above and sold: Sotheby's, London, December 5, 1979, lot 110)
The British Rail Pension Fund Collection (and sold: Sotheby's, London, April 4, 1989, lot 5)
Eastlake Gallery, New York (acquired at the above sale)
Acquired from the above

Washington, D.C., National Gallery of Art, Manet and Modern Paris, 1982-83, no. 67, illustrated in the catalogue
Hamilton, The Picker Art Gallery, Colgate University; Austin, Archer M. Huntington Gallery, The University of Texas; Norwich, Castle Museum, Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Works from a British Collection, 1986-87, no. 26, illustrated in the catalogue

Paul Jamot & Georges Wildenstein, Edouard Manet, vol. I, Paris, 1932, under no. 44, p. 120
Robert Rey, Manet, London & Toronto, 1938, illustrated p. 123 (titled Le musicien ambulant)
Adolphe Tabarant, Manet et ses oeuvres, Paris, 1947, no. 555, illustrated p. 620
Alain de Leiris, The Drawings of Edouard Manet, Berkeley & Los Angeles, 1969, no. 165, illustrated fig. 171
Denis Rouart & Daniel Wildenstein, Edouard Manet, Catalogue raisonné, pastels, aquarelles et dessins, vol. II, Paris, 1975, no. 308, illustrated p. 121
Theodore Reff, Manet and Modern Paris, Washington, D.C., 1982, pp. 124-25 & 190-91

Overall the work is in very good condition. Executed on cream wove paper. Hinged to a mount at the upper corners on the verso. Sheet is slightly time-darkened overall. The artist's pinholes are visible at all four corners. There is some minor surface dirt along the extreme edges and a possible surface stain to the right of center near the bottom edge. There is some minor wear to the extreme bottom corners and scattered minor studio stains are visible on the verso.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Although usually thought to be a preliminary sketch, Theodore Reff believes that the present work was drawn after Manet's painting of 1862, Le vieux musician (see fig. 1), and is a preparatory study for an etching: "The monochromatic medium would be unique among the drawings clearly intended as compositional studies for paintings, whereas it is common among those made for prints. The dimensions are those of a standard copperplate, like the ones Manet used for some early etchings. And most telling of all, the subject matter corresponds to that of the painting in every respect, even in those that laboratory examination has shown were modified in the course of its development. But the etching was apparently never executed; only the barefoot girl holding an infant appears in a print" (Theodore Reff, op. cit., p. 190).

Le vieux musician is clearly influenced by such Velazquez compositions as The Drinkers, both in subject and style. The identities of Manet's models are known and include the leader of a band of gypsies, an old rag picker, street urchins, the old wandering bard and the orphan girl, all common sights in the streets of Paris in the early 1860s. The setting of Le vieux musician could either be an area in Paris cal♒led "Petit Pologne" or some vacant lot൩s behind the Parc Monceau, near where Manet lived.