• Conde José Artal (Artal was a dealer from Spain who had been living in Buenos Aires since the mid-1880s. Through his gallery, Salones Artal, he showed the work of contemporary Spanish artists throughout Argentina and Chile. Artal’s initial showing of Sorolla’s work was in his first exhibition at the Salón Witcomb, Buenos Aires in 1897: Arte Moderno. Escuela Española. Exposición de Pinturas y Dibujos. Highly successful, he followed this initial foray into the contemporary market with a succession of similar exhibitions, virtually all of which featured works by Sorolla. The present work was shown in the fourteenth such exhibition that Artal mounted at the Salón Witcomb in 1904, where it was purchased by Carlos Mayer. As well as regularly showing his works, Artal also secured a demanding schedule of portrait commissions for Sorolla. In 1900 Sorolla painted a portrait of Artal himself, and for his work promoting Spanish cultural interests in South America, the dealer was nobled Conde (Count) by the King of Spain, Alfonso XIII).
• Carlos Mayer, Buenos Aires
• purchased from the above in 1996

Signature and date bottom right:

by Sotheby's (PDF)