In a letter dated August 27, 1987, Cadmus wrote to Arthur Byron Phillips about his recent purchase of Fences: "It started with a very careful drawing of some battered snow fences on this island near Saltaire where I spent many summers with my friends Jared and margaret French. The pole and figures were invented additions. At the time ... I saw quite a lot of two handsome young friends of friends, not intimtaes of mine. Jonathan Tichenor - an assistant and much more to George Platt Lynes and John Nerber a young poet. I don't remember who actually posed for the figure. Neither of those two. Probably Jared French who was not that elongated. He posed for almost anything I did in those days. As I did too, for him. Once I was a blonde negress! And he a little child. The reclining figure I wanted to be ambiguous: male possibly or female possibly. I left it up to the viewer. I wanted to suggest the strange feeling that sometimes is supposed to occur after love-making - a kind of melancholy(?)..."