Estate of the artist (sale: Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 10th-11th May 1875)
J. Staats Forbes, London
The Leicester Galleries (Ernest Brown & Phillips), London (acquired by 1948)
Lord Clark of Saltwood (acquired by 1952)
Ian Woodner Foundation, New York (sale: Christie's, New York, 23rd May 1991, lot 237)
Purchased at the above sale by the late owner

London, The Leicester Galleries, New Year Exhibition, 1948, no. 2
London, Arts Council Gallery, French Drawings from Fouquet to Gauguin, 1952, no. 109 (titled Sitting by the Fire)
London, Arts Council of Great Britain, Drawings by Jean-François Millet, 1956, no. 20 (as Etude pour La Veillée)
Berlin, Kupferstichkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin - Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Linie, Licht und Schatten. Meisterzeichnungen und Skulpturen der Sammlung Jan und Marie-Anne Krugier-Poniatowski, 1999, no. 92, illustrated in colour in the catalogue
Venice, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, The Timeless Eye. Master Drawings from the Jan and Marie-Anne Krugier-Poniatowski Collection, 1999, no. 109, illustrated in colour in the catalogue
Madrid, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Miradas sin Tiempo. Dibujos, Pinturas y Esculturas de la Coleccion Jan y Marie-Anne Krugier-Poniatowski, 2000, no. 120, illustrated in colour in the catalogue
Paris, Musée Jacquemart-André, La Passion du Dessin. Collection Jan et Marie-Anne Krugier-Poniatowski, 2002, no. 106, illustrated in colour in the catalogue
Vienna, Albertina, Goya bis Picasso. Meisterwerke der Sammlung Jan Krugier und Marie-Anne Krugier-Poniatowski, 2005, no. 78, illustrated in colour in the catalogue
Munich, Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung, Das Ewige Auge - Von Rembrandt bis Picasso. Meisterwerke der Sammlung Jan Krugier und Marie-Anne Krugier-Poniatowski, 2007, no. 103, illustrated in colour in the catalogue

Léonce Bénédite, The Drawings of Jean François Millet, London & Philadelphia, 1906, illustrated pl. 15 
Jean-François Millet, (exhibition catalogue), Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1984, mentioned p. 73

Executed on laid paper. The sheet is not laid down and is hinged to the mat in the upper left and right corners. The sheet is undulating slightly and has yellowed very slightly with age. There is a small, minor repair in the upper right corner and a tiny tear at the lower edge (covered by the present mat). This work is in good condition. Held in a faded gilt frame, the mat covering the extreme edges of the sheet, under glass.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."