One of a number of 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.In this study the figure of the Protonotary Theophilus carries the symbols of his office as he returns to the Law Courts. The subject comes from the story of St Dorothea about to be martyred for her faith.