Between February 1941 and April 1949, John contributed an article to Horizon, Connolly's monthly review of literature and art. Everytime John had written a few pages, he would spend an evening with Connolly, from whom he gained great support in his endeavours. These articles helped to form the basis of Chiaroscuro, his auto-biography, published in 1952.

The present work is one of three drawings produced in one afternoon in 1945; another version was reproduced on the frontispiece to the British and American editions of the sitter's book of essays, The Condemned Playground, published in 1945 and 1946.
(see M. Easton and M. Holroyd, The Art of Augustus John, London, 1974, p.202).