Exhibited Royal Academy, London, 1874, no. 574; purchased from the artist by Agnew’s (dealer), London, 1 April 1874, stock no. 8432[1]; sold to Saul Armitage, 2 October 1874; from whom re-purchased by Agnew’s (dealer), London, 7 December 1874, stock no. 9014[2]; sold to Robert Millington Knowles Esq. (1843–1924), High Sherriff of Nottinghamshire, 8 December 1874[3]; his collection, Colston Bassett Hall, Colston Bassett, until 1890s; exhibited Summer Exhibition, New Gallery, London, May 1890, no. 171 as Charcoal-burning in Monmouthshire; collection of Martin Loughlin (1833–94), Ballarat, before 1894[4]; included in the James MacBain sale, Fraser & Co. Ltd, Melbourne, 7 February 1895[5]; from where purchased by Alfred Felton (1831–1904); his collection, Melbourne, until 1904; bequeathed to the NGV, 1904.
[1] See Agnew’s Picture Stockbook 1871–74, NGA27/1/1/4, pp. 270-71, Thomas Agnew & Sons archive, National Gallery Research Centre, London, accessed https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/research/research-centre/agnews-stock-books/reference-nga27114-1871-74
[2] See Agnew’s Picture Stockbook 1874–79, NGA27/1/1/5, pp. 48-49, Thomas Agnew & Sons archive, National Gallery Research Centre, London, accessed https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/research/research-centre/agnews-stock-books/reference-nga27115-1874-79
[3] Colston Bassett Hall was purchased by Knowles, originally from Lancashire, in 1877. Knowles immersed himself in the local community, funding the construction of a new parish church. See http://www.colstonbassetthistory.org.uk/viewpage.php?page_id=2
[4] Loughlin was a mining magnate and owner of racehorses. He arrived in Victoria in 1855 and made his fortune mining alluvial gold. See Austin McCallum, 'Loughlin, Martin (1833–1894)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/loughlin-martin-4040/text6423, published first in hardcopy 1974, accessible via link.
[5] ‘The late Sir James MacBain’s Paintings’ in The Argus, Wednesday 6 February 1895, p. 6, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9344603 and ‘Sale of Paintings’ in The Age, Saturday 9 February 1895, p. 8, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article193462422. Lot number unknown.
Exhibited: Royal Academy, London, 1874, no. 574; loaned to Midland Counties Art Museum, Nottingham, 1878[1]; Jubilee Exhibition, Manchester, 1887, no. 400, lent by R. M. Knowles Esq.; Summer Exhibition, New Gallery, London, May 1890, no. 171 as Charcoal-burning in Monmouthshire.
[1] Official Catalogue of the Pictures and Objects in the Midland Counties Art Museum, The Castle, Nottingham, compiled and edited by J. P. Briscoe, F.R.H.S., Nottingham: T. Forman and Sons, 1878, p. 62, cat. 31 (North staircase).