This is a study for the oil painting, The Golden Stairs (Tate Gallery, London) that was designed in 1872, begun in 1876, and exhibited at the Grosvenor Gallery in 1880. It was Burne-Jones' sole contribution that year, and was completed under great pressure. On 22 April, only a few days before the opening, his wife recorded in her diary: 'The picture is finished and so is the painter almost. He has never been so pushed for time in his life'.(1) Burne-Jones used his favorite model at the time, the Italian Antonia Caiva, for all the figure studies, although the heads in the final painting appear to have been studied from the beautiful young women in his circle whom he had made his confidantes. This drawing appears to be among the figure rather than the portrait studies. 1. G B-J, Memorials of Edward Burne-Jones, Macmillan & Co., London 1904, volume II, page 103
A preliminary study for the third figure at the top, who in the finished work holds a flageolet. The cymbal player was removed to the very bottom left of the painting and she holds the cymbals at waist height rather than shoulder height as at first conceived.