Lauren Bacall was born in 1924 in the Bronx. After finishing high school, Bacall enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, making her stage debut on Broadway. Bacall also began modeling, earning the nicknames "Baby" and "The Look" due to her dazzling beauty. She often appeared on the cover of Harper's Bazaar magazine.

The wife of director Howard Hawks (1896-1977) spotted Bacall and arranged a screen test for the 19-year-old. Bacall was given the role of Marie Browning in To Have and Have Not (1944) a thriller opposite Humphrey Bogart. This was the start of one of Hollywood's most famous love affairs and the first of many Bogart-Bacall pictures including, The Big Sleep (1946), Dark Passage (1947) and Key Largo (1948). In 1953, Bacall also was cast in the comedy and smash hit How to Marry a Millionaire co-starring Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grabler. She returned to Broadway after Bogart's death in 1957, and continued to receive critical acclaim.

Observers have compared this portrait of Bacall in the bathroom of cosmetic empire founder Helena Rubenstein (1871-1965), with classical 18th century images of Diana at her bath.