Red chalk drawing on textured paper (circular mount), Head of Maria Zambaco (London 1843 - Paris 1914) by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones (Birmingham 1833 - London 1898), signed with initials within heart lower centre: EBJ, circa 1866 -69. A circular profile portrait of a girl to left, curly hair taken back and with her eyes lowered. Datable as a study for Hymenaeus, Delaware Art Museum, painted as a gift to Zambaco's first cousin Luke Ionides on his marriage to Elfrida Bird in August 1869.
Rossetti letter to Madox Brown 23 January 1869: Poor Ned's affairs have come to a smash altogether, and he and Topsy, after the most dreadful to-do, started for Rome suddenly, leaving the Greek damsel beating up the quarters of all his friends for him and howling like Cassandra. Georgie stayed behind. I hear to-day however that Top and Ned got no further than Dover, Ned being so dreadfully ill that they will probably have to return to London.
In January 1869 his wife Georgina found a letter from Maria in his clothing and Burne-Jones reluctantly ended the affair.