The Blue Lady is based on a 1950 painting by Vladimir Tretchikoff. It became one of the world's most popular paintings when made into a print in the 1960s and 1970s. The painting was of an unknown Chinese girl and was best known for the unusual skin tone used for her face (a blue-green color). Recently, the model for Tretchikoff's painting was found to be a then 17-year-old Monika Sing-Lee (now Monika Pon), who was then a single girl working in her uncle's laundry in Cape Town.

The first 10 of this monochromatic edition were released in Palm Springs, at The Reef. Later, they were sold through the Eekum Bookum website at a slightly higher mark-up.

Note: there was also a full-color edition that preceded this one.