The Mirror of Venus (Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon) was painted by Burne-Jones between 1870 and 1876 and is among his most exquisite pictures. The composition and figure poses in the present drawing are essentially as they appear in the finished oil, the only significant difference being that Venus is depicted naked.
The present drawing is an exact composition sketch made by Burne-Jones as a guide for an assistant to lay in the ground in preparation for the later stages of the painting. This is not a study but was made after the design had been clarified.