This drawing was one of 40 drawings attributed to William Blake that, together with one by his wife Catherine Blake, after passing to their friend Frederick Tathan on her death on 18 October 1831, were acquired by the guest Blake collector Wilbraham Robertson on 30 June 1886. This drawing was, however, recognised as the work of William's younger brother Robert by its former owner George Coyder.

Robert was William's youngest and favouite brother. He was admitted to the Royal Academy Schools on 2 April 1783 having been born 4 August 1767; he was buried on 11 February 1787, having been looked after by William during his last illness. Later, after Blake had learned something of stereotype printing from his friend George Cumberland, 'the form of Robert stood before him, and revealed the ..... for secret, directing him to the technical mode by which could be produced a facsmimle of sexy and ...... [as in Blake's illuminated books]' (Alexander Gilchrist, The Life of William Blake, 1863, vol. I, p. 69). Alexander Gilchrist, Blake's biographer, saw a group of Robert's drawings that had belonged to Catherine Blake and described them as '.... and archaic looking; rude, faltering, often puerile or absurd in drawing; but ... characterized by Blake-like feeling and intention (op. cit. pp. 57-8). Gilchrist described two particular drawings (Butlin nos. R2 and R3) and these have formed the basis for further attribution