The two young women face Cupid, or Love, whose face is half hidden by the hood of the cloak of Reason, as he presents them with a clearly irrefutable argument. There is no literary background or narrative to the drawing, nor any sense of moralising. Behind the figures is an extensive town, giving the impression that the girls have stumbled across Love whilst walking. Edward Clifford in his memoir "Broadlands as it was" tells us that the figure on the left is Georgiana. Her close friend bears a distinct likeness to Louisa her sister, but the fascinating element in the painting is that the model for Reason appears to have been Maria Zambaco, which places the painting as central to the artist's life at this date. In no other painting do Maria and Georgiana appear together. It almost goes so far as to rationalise Burne-Jones's emotional state. The majority of commentators have viewed the painting as "whimsical" but this is to misconstrue the underlying significance of the painting. Burne-Jones modelled the painting on Raphael's "Allegory" or "Vision of a Knight" in the National Gallery London (acquired in 1847), obviously for its narrative content in which the knight, when he wakes will have to make a choice. John Ruskin's description of the painting as quoted in "A popular handbook to the National Gallery"(compiled by Edward T Cook pub 1888 page 107) is as follows:- "A young Knight sleeps under a laurel - the tree whose leaves were in all ages the reward of honour; and in a dream of his future career he sees two figures approach him, between whom he has to make his choice. The one on the left speaks with a voice of Duty; she is purple-robed and offers him a book and a sword - emblematic of the active life of study and conflict. The other is of fair countenance and is gaily decked with ribbons and wreaths of coral. Her's is the voice of Pleasure, and the flower she offers is a sprig of myrtle in bloom - "myrtle dear to Venus". "
The allegory depicted by Raphael in this miniature painting shows a dreaming knight surrounded by two women representing the two contesting concepts of Virtue and Pleasure . The most probable source for this allegory is a passage in an epic poem Punica by the Roman poet Silius Italicus (25 – 110 AD) about the young soldier Scipio and his dream .(https://colourlex.com/project/raphael-an-allegory/)
Letter to Fairfax Murray Sep 16/71 D.L.M I've been seedy again. / no sleep to speak of for 4 or 5 nights / & I'm done up & the doctor says / will I rest & go away I must / so go away I do & that on / Monday, but where to I don't / know except that it will be / southwards because the doctor / said northward would be best. / I haven't had ? to think / about work for days, so Love disguised must stand over / at present. Could you come / across either tomorrow afternoon / or Sunday aftn. Your Affect / E.B-J