Lovers in a passionate embrace: four variations

The four compositional designs of embracing lovers of this sheet echo some of Burne-Jones's most romantic works. The pair to the lower right are very similar in pose to those in the early pen and ink drawing The Knight's Farewell (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford), whilst those in the upper left recall perhaps his most romantic work, Love Among the Ruins (sold in these Rooms, 11 July 2013, lot 3). The use of rich tonal blues is stylistically closest to his designs for reliefs, and it is possibly that these designs are for a series of unexecuted relief panels.

We are grateful to Colin Cruise for his help in preparing this catalogue entry.