Duncan Grant (21 January 1885 – 8 May 1978) is best known for his distinct painting style, which developed in the wake of the French Post Impressionist exhibitions that were mounted in London in the first decade of the 20th Century. In addition to painting landscapes, life studies and portraits, Grant was also known as a designer of textiles, theater sets and ceramics. He is also famously known for having been commissioned to design the First Class Lounge of Cunard's Queen Mary. Once the murals, textiles and designs were in place they were reviewed and ultimately rejected by Cunard on the basis of being too Modern.

Paul Roche (26 September 1916 – 30 October 2007) was a British poet and professor of English. Born in India during the Raj, Roche was associated with the Bloomsbury Group of artists, which Duncan Grant was a founding member of. Grant met Roche in the summer of 1946 and lived with Roche until his death in 1978.