The portrait was commissioned by the Royal Society of the Arts to mark their 50th anniversary of association with the Queen, and hangs in their headquarters.

[1] The portrait was initially displayed to the public for five days in January 1998 at the Business Design Centre in Islington, north London.

[2] The Wall Street Journal wrote that Mortimer's portrait depicts Elizabeth "...set against an acidic yellow background with her head floating away from her body".

The portrait was seen in the public dissatisfaction that surrounded the monarchy in the aftermath of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

[1] In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Mortimer said that Elizabeth "...recognizes that it is part of her role as monarch to be represented by all different kinds of portraitists...She went along with it knowing that she would get a very unconventional result."