For the same sitting see also: Head study of a Woman looking down to the left for the girl holding the helmet in The Arming and the Departure in the Holy Grail (Birmingham Museum and Art & Gallery) tapestries and for Knight in The Arming and the Departure Holy Grail tapestries.
This head study may be compositionally based on the angel in the 1887-88 gouache cartoon version of 'The Star of Bethlehem' (Collection of Lord Lloyd-Webber; see also Sotheby's Sale 3/11/1993, no.219), but intended for Birmingham's (version in watercolour (1891P75), based on the date. The cartoon was for a tapestry executed by Morris & Co. (for two versions of this composition: Norwich Castle Museum, Norfolk and National Gallery of South Australia). A similar mixed media cartoon with gilt was executed, with the angel's head in a different pose, for an earlier tapestry (in 1888, cartoon in the V&A; tapestries in Eton College Chapel and Exeter College Chapel, Oxford). The 1888 cartoon for tapestry is compositionally identical to the large watercolour of 'The Star of Bethlehem' in Birmingham's collection.