'The Hill of Venus' is the story of man named Walter, "who by strange adventure fell into the power of Venus, and who, repenting of his life with her, was fain to return to the world and amend all, but might not; for his repentance was rejected of men, by whomsoever it was accepted". This study is one of thirteen preliminary tracing states for woodblocked engravings. Here, Walter stands in the foreground on the left, at the foot of a steep cliff (the Hill of Venus), with the entrance into the cave on the extreme left. His horse stands in front of a wood, in the middle distance on the right. This design, along with 1927P634 probably illustrates the lines: "There had he drawn rein, and his eyes were set Upon a dark place in the sheer rock's side, A cavern's mouth..."
Burne-Jones, in his list of pictures, states that in 1866 he designed twenty pictures for the 'Hill of Venus'. These are among the most finished of the Earthly Paradise drawings, being ready to be drawn onto the woodblock for the engraver. There are several alternative designs and preliminary sketches for these subjects (see No. 1237).