Despite its French title this is a of a London 'costergirl', a woman who worked selling food from a barrow. Sickert was exhibiting paintings both in France and in London, and the title was probably given after it had been shown with his dealer Bernheim Jeune in Paris. He wrote 'Here I am deep in two divine costergirls - one with sunlight on her indoors. You know the hat all the coster girls wear here with a crown fitting the head inside and expanded outside to immense . It's called an 'American sailor'(hat)'.
Gallery label, September 2004
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