One of several studies in Birmingham's Collection for the Perseus Series of paintings (Series I is now in the Stattsgalerie, Stuttgart; Series II in the Southampton City Art Gallery). Of these two studies, it seems that only Medusa was used in the final composition, specifically, 'The Finding of Medusa', the Staatsgalerie version. However, it is possible that these two heads were two be used in the preliminary compositions of 'The Baleful Head', also in the Staatsgalerie, in which similar positionings of the heads are used.
The model for Medusa was Mrs Drummond, sister of W. A. S. Benson and the model for Perseus was a gypsy named Smith.