Gwen John made numerous versions of this painting, some nearly identical and others with differing poses or costumes. The sitter was a neighbour of John's in Meudon, near Paris. Although she was the artist's most frequently used model, she is rarely mentioned in John's correspondence, and her name is unknown. She is sometimes referred to as 'the Convalescent' after the series of paintings of that name for which she posed, one of which hangs nearby.