Boston-born Coburn based himself in London from around 1906, learning how to make photogravures at the London County Council School of Photo-engraving, and establishing a studio with two copperplate printing presses at the home he shared with his mother in Hammersmith. In the period 1909-14 he etched and steel-faced eighty-three plates, and oversaw the printing of some 40,000 hand-pulled gravures. While most of the gravures were for his books – New York, London, Men of Mark and Door in the Wall – he also made at least six large freestanding photogravures including this print, The Cloud–Bavaria.