George Frank Stephens [1859-1935], the artist's brother-in-law;[1] Roger Stephens, the artist's nephew, by 20 December 1944;[2] (E. & A. Milch, Inc., New York); (M. Knoedler & Co., New York), 1960; sold 10 January 1961 to Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, Upperville, Virginia; gift 1985 to NGA. [1] The names of Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Eddy (Plainfield, New Jersey) have appeared at this point in the provenance, and Charles Eddy (Westfield, New Jersey) is given as the owner in Lloyd Goodrich, "Thomas Eakins, Realist," _Pennsylvania Museum Bulletin_ 25 (March 1930): 172, no. 125, appearing between the first owner, Eakins' brother-in-law George Frank Stephens, and the second, Eakins' nephew Roger Stephens. But it makes no sense to have the painting's descent in the Stephens family interrupted, particularly as Roger Stephens (letter of 20 December 1944 from Roger Stephens to the Metropolitan Museum of Art [MMA archives]) reported that he inherited it from a relative. Neither of the Eddys was related to the Stephenses; thus it seems tolerably clear that some confusion has crept into the provenance. [2] Goodrich's manuscript catalogue (Philadelphia Museum of Art) also records the letter of 20 December 1944 from Roger Stephens to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MMA archives): "I have an oil painting by my uncle, the late Thomas Eakins, which has recently come to me through the death of another relative. The size is about 18 x 20, the subject: a young Negro sitting on a stool, playing a banjo."