In about 1866 Burne-Jones fell passionately in love with Maria Zambaco, a beautiful and volatile sculptress who belonged to the Greek community on London; this love nearly destroyed his marriage and caused him great anguish. Maria sits pensively in the foreground while a faded and elderly Burne-Jones sits in the background, gazing at her. This drawing represents a very personal statement made at the height of Burne-Jones's love affair and was given as a souvenir to Maria Zambaco. When Burne-Jones tried to break with Maria she attempted to commit suicide; in order to escape from an increasingly painful situation, he left for the Continent, accompanied by Morris, early in 1869, but was too ill to travel further than Dover. Eventually the crisis passed and by 1872 the danger to Burne-Jones's marriage was over although a great deal of damage had been done.
Burne-Jones's passionate 'misdemeanour' with Maria Zambaco began in the late 1860s and continued for about three years. She was an exceptionally beautiful member of the London Greek colony and had some skill as a sculptress. The impact that their affair had on Burne-Jones was profound yet it was very much an offshoot of Rossetti's liaisons with Elizabeth Siddal and Jane Morris. Like Rossetti, he saw Maria as a symbol of his muse as much as a fleshy reality; the drawings and paintings of her are permeated by a quality of unearthly beauty and sadness. It may well be that the reason for the withdrawal from The Old watercolour Society of 'Phyllis and Demophoon' in 1869 was that it portrayed Maria semi-nude clutching an almost nude man, the reference to his personal affairs being too close for the satisfaction of the committee. The present collection of comic drawings gives a rare insight into the relationship, revealing a whimsy and parody that characterise a liaison that was more than purely sensual.
In January 1869 his wife Georgina found a letter from Maria in his clothing and Burne-Jones reluctantly ended the affair.
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.