Robert Indiana kept a series of illustrated journals during the late 1950s and 1960s, in which he discusses the development of his work as well as his daily life on Coenties Slip.

In his journal page for April 23, 1961, the artist comments that it was a quiet world on the Slip, not a word from anyone. The entry includes a color sketch of the sculpture Brow, which the artist mounted and completed that day. The text to the right of the sketch, "For Ernst," refers to the artist Max Ernst, to whom the work was dedicated, and the text below includes the work's title (Brow), creation location (USA), date of completion (1960), and dimensions (45 x 12 1/2 inches). Indiana also notes that he repainted the top of the sculpture Cuba.