The artist met Dylan Thomas (1914-53) at the Fitzroy Tavern, probably in 1935, and introduced him to Caitlin Macnamara, whom he married in 1937. This is one of a pair of portraits of the young poet by John. Both probably date from late 1937 or early 1938 when Thomas and his wife were staying at her mother's house in Hampshire not far from John's home at Fryern Court. The artist recalled 'I got him to to sit for me twice, the second portrait being the more successful: provided with a bottle of beer he sat very patiently.'