By 1957, the Nolans had been in London for two years and in April they moved from their original small flat in Paddington to a house with large studio and gardens in Putney overlooking the Thames - presumably where the present postcard was written. Nolan started a new Mrs Fraser series here, and in June 1957 his first retrospective was held at the Whitechapel Gallery. From September to October Nolan was in Greece, visiting the Acropolis of Lindos on the island of Rhodes during this time.

Paul Hodin (1905-1995), born Josef Paul Hodin in Prague, was an art critic, art historian and author. As he had a house in St. Ives, Cornwall, he was surrounded by the Modern British artists living and working there, and this, coupled with his interest in sculpture, lead to his authorship of books on Barbara Hepworth, Lynn Chadwick, Elisabeth Frink and Henry Moore.