This painting probably has its origins in a fantasy of Dalí's, concerning a hidden voyeur who watches his object of desire through the window of a rundown building. The painting was probably begun around 1932. Minor alterations were made in 1936, namely the addition of a leafy branch which crosses the woman's shoulder, and slight changes to the cypress tree in the background. The branch may refer to the myth of Daphne, who was transformed into a bush. This would also explain the green tinge to her breasts.