This is a head and shoulders portrait study of a young woman. This red chalk drawing and ‘Seraph’ (WD45) were recorded in the George Powell inventory as being commissioned from the artist directly by Powell. However, this seems doubtful as they appear to be studies for ‘La Chant D’Amour’, a painting in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Georgiana Burne-Jones wrote to Powell on behalf of her husband to acknowledge the receipt of payment which Powell appears to have made in person at The Grange, their house in Fulham: ’[…] we ought to have acknowledged its receipt before, but have been so unsettled that nothing has been done in order lately – the house has been devastated by workmen’. Burne-Jones also wrote to Powell suggesting that this drawing and ‘Seraph’ would look their best in a ‘simple narrow oak frame round the mount’. Reference in Powell's letters N. L. W. Vol. 5.
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.