Sir Charles Greville (1763-1832), L.549; by descent to his nephew, George Guy, Earl of Warwick (1818-1893), L.2600; his estate sale, Christie’s (London), 20 - 21 May 1896, lot 210; purchased there by Charles Fairfax Murray, London (1849-1919) [not evident in the catalogue of his estate sale at Christie's, 30 January 1920, though not all drawings were listed in detail]; Spencer (London); purchased there by Sir Robert Witt, London (1872-1952), L.2228b, n.d.; Witt Bequest 1952

Watermark: Watermarks: upper centre: bunch of grapes; Countermark: lower centre: letters in a banner, looks like “A?ES” (not found in Heawood). Backing sheet (removed but still mounted with the drawing): Verso, upper centre: “C&IH”.

Inscription: Border (historic), Recto: lower right, brown ink: “Charle Le Brun”; lower left corner, graphite, Witt number: “1820”. Backing sheet (removed but still mounted with the drawing), Recto: upper left corner, graphite: “1196/1”; centre, brown ink: “premiere Pensée pour Le Tableau / de La Magdalene du Carmelites / peint par Charle Le Brun / qui a Eté Gravée par Edeling. //”; lower centre, graphite, faded: “Madm La Valiere / when retired from the world / discarded her [...]ils + ornaments //”; lower right edge, brown ink, cut off: “Carl le Brun”. Verso is a cut-down engraving of a city map of Vercelli, with rivers labelled “SESSIA FLU.” and “CERVUS FLU.” and a legend at lower right inscribed “URBIS / VERCELLENSIS. / à / CAROLO EMANUELE II. / Allobrogum Cypriorumque REGE , / RECUPERATAE, / NOVA EFFIGIES //”.

Collector's mark: Recto: lower right corner, stamped in black ink: Earl of Warwick (L.2600); Charles Greville (L.549). Border (historic), Recto: lower left, stamped in black ink: Sir Robert Witt (L.2228b).