The pioneer of classical Indian dance in England, Gopal was born in Bangalore, and initially trained in the classical Indian dance style of Kathakali. After the Second World War he starred in a number of Hollywood epics made on location, such as The Purple Plain (1954), and William Dieterle's Elephant Walk (1954), for which he had also choreographed the dance sequences. After a series of successful world tours he settled in London in 1954. In the 1960’s Gopal was a partner of Alicia Markova, having appeared with her at the Prince's Theatre in 1960, in Radha-Krishna, a duet choreographed by him, which transferred to the Edinburgh Festival later that year.

The print, which dates from the 1940’s or 1950’s, measures 7.1” by 5.3” (180 mm by 135 mm) and is mounted on a grey-green / mid-grey sheet of stiff paper with a mottled surface and a rough edge. The mount measures 11.3” by 8.4” (285 mm by 215 mm).