Edward Bawden was born in Braintree, Essex and studied at Cambridge School of Art from 1919, then at the Royal College of Art from 1922-25, on a scholarship in the design school taught by Paul Nash. Began commercial work soon after graduation and then worked on the Morley College murals with fellow student Eric Ravilious. They both moved to Great Bardfield in the 1930s and their watercolour style at this time was very close.
He undertook book illustrations from the late 1930s and this rare ink painting (wash out technique) was used in Claudia Roden's seminal A Book of Middle Eastern Food published in 1968. This painting came from the artist's studio and is marked in pencil and body wash around the rather Henry Moore like rock to the right of the composition.