Burne-Jones executed comic drawings throughout his career, often for children but, as Lady Burne-Jones observed 'really for the child that was always in himself'. Many of Burne-Jones' cartoons are concerned with obesity and he drew a long series of 'fat ladies' caught in embarrassing situations, which were said to have been inspired by Lady Lindsay. However, the deterioration of his friend William Morris' health caused by his obesity provoked almost revulsion in Burne-Jones and a general concern with the tyranny of flesh over spirit.
Burne-Jones's passionate 'misdemeanour' with Maria Zambaco began in the late 1860s and continued for about three years. She was an exceptionally beautiful member of the London Greek colony and had some skill as a sculptress. The impact that their affair had on Burne-Jones was profound yet it was very much an offshoot of Rossetti's liaisons with Elizabeth Siddal and Jane Morris. Like Rossetti, he saw Maria as a symbol of his muse as much as a fleshy reality; the drawings and paintings of her are permeated by a quality of unearthly beauty and sadness. It may well be that the reason for the withdrawal from The Old watercolour Society of 'Phyllis and Demophoon' in 1869 was that it portrayed Maria semi-nude clutching an almost nude man, the reference to his personal affairs being too close for the satisfaction of the committee. The present collection of comic drawings gives a rare insight into the relationship, revealing a whimsy and parody that characterise a liaison that was more than purely sensual.