Burne-Jones's fascination with curtains and falling drapery was manifest in 1871 during his trip to Genoa, the sketchbook (Museum of New Zealand, Wellington) from which has nine studies of suspended fabrics in varied arrangements. At that time they had a particular significance for Burne-Jones as he had shown Cupid raising the curtain behind Maria Zambaco in his portrait of her and he had made a preliminary drawing in c.1871 "Cupid raising the curtain" for Morris's Love is Enough. This apparent stage set has a symbolical meaning with it's mysterious dark entrance to the rear of the stage which must has some relevance to the increasing age of the artist. Burne-Jones is here showing how much he has in common with the contemporary minimalist Symbolist theatre of the 1890s. His son-in-law, J W MacKail translated Maurice Maeterlinck's "Pelleas and Melisande" which was staged at the Prince of Wales Theatre, London, in June 1898. One of the artist's sets from King Arthur was re-cycled and Burne-Jones advised Mrs Patrick Campbell on her costume - a "lovely golden dress". The drawing displays a sympathy to Maeterlinck's aesthetic, who he had read and admired in the 1890s.