William Bouguereau

Goupil & Cie., Paris (acquired directly from the artist, March 8, 1872, no. 6222)
Knoedler, New York (acquired from the above in October 1872)
Private Collection, United States
Private Collection, Arizona
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Charles Vendryès, Dictonnaire illustré des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1885, p. 47 (as Indigence (buste))
Marius Vachon, William Bouguereau, Paris, 1900, p. 151 (as Indigence)
Mark Steven Walker, "William-Adolphe Bouguereau, A Summary Catalogue of the Paintings," William-Adolphe Bouguereau, L'Art Pompier, exh. cat., Borghi & Co., New York, 1991, p. 69
Damien Bartoli with Fred Ross, William Bouguereau, Catalogue Raisonné of his Painted Works, New York, 2010, p. 143, no. 1872/07, illustrated

The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.: This painting has been recently restored. The canvas has been lined, but not recently. The restorations are not particularly accurate or effective, and they are clearly visible in the background on the upper left to the naked eye. There are other discolored retouches above the head and in the right background. In the face, there are a few spots of retouching above the figure's mouth. These are also discolored. There is the same kind of restoration in the hands and wrists. The condition may not be particularly good, but it is also not as poor as it may seem. The lining is a little lumpy, the varnish is thick and uneven, and the retouches are weak. With better restoration, the picture will improve.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Wrapped warmly in a shawl, the “chilly girl” of the present work is among the most recognizable of Bouguereau’s models of the early 1870s.  She shields herself from the chill of rain with a similarly patterned cloth, though of different colors, in Pendant l’orage (current location unknown) and is then transformed into an Italian country musician wearing a crown of flowers in La Jeune fille au tambourin, as well asTête d’Italienne avec une couronne de laurier (the location of both is unknown) among other works (Bartoli with Ross, p. 143).  In the present work the young woman is set against a dark background, light glinting across her gold bead necklace while softly illuminating her pale skin.  The boldly striped textile of saturated colors serves as the composition’s primary decorative motif while also inspiring an emotional resonance with the viewer.