John Walker was born in Birmingham, and studied at Birmingham School of Art 1956-60. He is acknowledged internationally as one of the most important British painters of the post-war era. He now lives and works in Boston.

Serenade is from a series of paintings which reflect themes of dislocation and memory of the past. The artist has included fragments of text from Byron's 'Stanzas to a Lady on Leaving England' such as: 'For though I fly from Albion. I will cross the whitening foam, and I will seek a foreign home.'

Much influenced by the painting of Australian aborigines, Serenade also refers to a necklace of painted eucalyptus pods given to him by an aboriginal friend with whom he had exchanged work.