The Heart of the Rose

Burne-Jones used variations on this design for tapestry, embroidery and an oil painting, which was directly based on this drawing. This scene is one of a series based on Chaucer's Romaunt of the Rose. In this image, the winged figure of Love leads the Pilgrim to the Rose, personified as a beautiful woman within a rose bush. Although the sketchy outlines and white chalk are characteristic of a working drawing, they also add to the mysterious, dreamlike quality of the piece.