The pose of the figure is very similar to that of one of the maidens in The Lament, 1866 (William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow). 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.
To entertain friends and family, Burne-Jones produced quickly-drawn caricatures throughout his career. The images often were opposite to the ideal forms found in his paintings. When the artist shared rooms with William Morris at the start of their careers, he often contrasted his own extreme thinness to his friend's rotundity. At once fascinated and repulsed by obesity, the artist centered many caricatures on large overdressed society women and non-ideal female nudes. This example belonged to Maria Zambaco, a sculptor and member of London's Greek community with whom Burne-Jones had an extended affair. The pose echoes one found in the artist's painting "The Lament" (1866, tempera, William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow).