Burne-Jones first illustrated Chaucer's Romance of the Rose in 1874 when he prepared a series of embroidery designs to be carried out by Margaret Lowthian Bell and her daughter. These were for the dining room of their new Philip Webb House, Rounton Grange. The embroideries are now in the William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow. At the same time the artist made a series of large very fine pencil versions of the compositions. Many of these were turned into oil paintings in the 1880's and 1890's including Love Leading the Pilgrim (dated 1896-7, Tate Gallery) The Pilgrim in the Garden of Vices' (Victoria & Albert Museum) and the `Heart of the Rose'. Finally he illustrated the story for the Kelmscott Chaucer. The present drawing is a study for the Heart of the Rose which was exhibited at the New Gallery in 1893, and shows Love leading the Pilgrim to the woman he has desired. Burne-Jones used a slightly different arrangement of drapery on the final work. See, the Arts Council of Great Britain 1975, Burne-Jones, (Catalogue of the exhibition by John Christian), number 187; and reproductions in Malcolm Bell, Sir Edward Burne-Jones. A Record and Review, (Bell & Sons, London, 4th edition 1895); and T. Martin Wood, The Drawings of Sir Edward Burne-Jones, (Newnes, London 1907) Reproduced, Bell, op. cit., opposite page 70