Rodchenko met Mayakovsky during a State sponsored exhibition in 1920. He and the poet developed an instant affinity for each other and collaborated on many projects including advertising (their stamp read: "Advertisement Constructors Mayakovsky-Rodchenko") and books of poems and prose. This portrait was made about a year after the completion of Pro Eto (About This), Mayakovsky's poem which was illustrated with a dozen photomontages by Rodchenko.