Released in 1982, Querelle was the final film directed by German filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder and was based on Jean Genet's novel Querelle de Brest. Its explicit homosexual themes and highly stylized visual language made the film controversial upon release, leading to restrictions or limited distribution in several countries.

Warhol based the artwork on a Polaroid photograph of two anonymous models. He traced their figures and transformed them into a bold graphic composition that echoed the film's themes of desire, identity and masculinity. Several poster versions were produced before the blue design was selected for the soundtrack album cover, making it one of Warhol's most distinctive late record covers.