A similar watercolour measuring, 15 1/8 x 12 1/8in. and dated 1835, is in the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, repr. J. Witt, William Henry Hunt, London, 1982, no.57. The Whitworth watercolour and the three other known versions of the subject are more highly finished than 'our' version. This watercolour seems to be the one included in sales at Foster's on 19 December 1860 as lot 96, and later on 12 March 1862 as lot 44, and catalogued as 'Fisher Boy - Study from Life', explaining the rather free execution of the drawing.
We are grateful to Craig Englund for his help in preparing this catalogue entry.