Previously identified as being a portrait of Margaret Drummond (nee Benson) upon comparison with other known portraits of the sitter this drawing is very unlike. This drawing stylistically was made earlier than the sittings with Benson and looks to be from Maria Zambaco. The hairstyle and treatment bear similarities to the head studies for Yseult in in the unfinished painting Tristram and Yseult begun in 1872, even more revealing the drawing has a close resemblance to Desiderium and it may well be a preliminary to that drawing.
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.