Hughes wrote to Agnes Hale-White, his second daughter, on 24 February 1902: 'I am doing a new picture rather of the old "Good Night" kind: a young girl on her knees looking up to a window, last evening light; cap on floor with wreathed wild flowers; little bed behind with lute laid on it; little head drapery worked with Angels with gold nimbusses; old blue cloak embroidered with flowers, etc. Shall quote "Ere I let fall the windows of my eyes," forget me nots in her hand' (Tate Gallery Archive, 7128/5). In describing the picture as 'of the old "Good Night" kind', Hughes was referring to the work of this title exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1866 and sold in these Rooms on 15 December 1972, lot 134.

A smaller version of the picture, possibly a finished study, was included in Hughes's memorial exhibition at Walker's Galleries, London, in 1916 (no.17).

For a note on the provenance, see lot 108.

We are grateful to Mr Leonard Roberts for his help in preparing this entry, and to Major Greville Chester, Arthur Hughes's great-grandson, and the Tate Gallery Archive, for permission to quote the hitherto unpublished letter.