Begun in 1880, the design or The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon passed through a number of stages, radically altering on the way. At the date this drawing was made the final design had been settle, but the details underwent considerable variation, the draperies in this drawing, with their strongly emphasized ripples, were replaced in the final painting by simpler planar folds. The lightly indicated instrument was an invention by the artist made up into a studio prop, it was very probably made especially for this painting, and also appears in another work of the period, "Erin" a design made for the Irish Industries Association. c.1886.