Guided by Gabriel Rossetti, the Pre-Raphaelites were born as a group in mid-19th century England. They soon dominated the British artistic scene and would revolutionize world-views influenced by their fascination with the Italian Renaissance prior to Raphael, earning them their name. One of the most renowned artists within this group was Edward Burne-Jones, who in his works foreshadowed symbolism and decadentism, which became popular soon after.

The woman portayed by the artist in this drawing, who was Burne-Jones’s model and lover for an extended period, embodies the fusion of two understandings of beauty that have constantly been at odds throughout history: the nordic ideal of a blonde and vulnerable woman, rooted in romanticism, versus the more firey ideal of the latin woman. María Zambaco, who hailed from Greece, seems to combine both notions. She represents the intensity of a southern dark-haired woman, but also conveys a certain sense of ambiguity that is close to melancholy. This motif was occasionally recurrent in Edward Burne-Jones’s depictions of women.