One of a number of compositional studies in Birmingham's collection for the watercolour entitled 'Theophilus and the Angel'. Two versions of the painting were made, one was destroyed in the second world war (1863), the other (c.1866) was sold at Sotheby's in 2008.Theophilus is walking up the winding staircase towards the Angel on the left. The body of St. Dorothea and her mourners is roughly indicated in the background, slightly to the right of centre, is the Temple of Venus. On the verso is a slight pencil sketch of figures.