At this date, Burne-Jones was being influenced by Michaelangelo and he was strongly affected by his study of Helenic sculpture and it's use of wet muslin to achieve multiple delicately applied folds of drapery to the figure. The present drawing is one of the closest to that sculptural effect, however the figure of Nimue in the final painting is less obviously indebted to Greek sculpture. The twist of the figure is an example of contrapposto which he had derived from studying Michaelangleo in the Sistine Chapel.