Although Coetzee and Ferrie Binge-Coetzee were divorced, they lived in separate houses, in separate towns and remained the best of friends and could spend up to four hours a day talking on the telephone. During his lifetime Coetzee painted about eight or nine portraits of Ferrie, including this much later portrait of her titled, Girl. Most of the other portraits were unfortunately destroyed in a tragic fire which claimed Ferrie's life in August, 2010.