This drawing, most probably of Maria Zambaco due to the inscription on the reverse, may not be by Burne-Jones, but rather by his studio assistant, Charles Fairfax Murray. In 1872, Zambaco left London to stay in Paris for a while, during which time both Burne-Jones and Murray had visited her (see letters in Harry R Ransom Humanities Research Center, University of Texas at Austin). On a number of occasions Burne-Jones had asked Murray to make images both of and for Zambaco. This may be one of them, especially since it bears no likeness to any other drawings extant by Burne-Jones of Zambaco, neither at this time, before or after. It has been dated as 1872 because Zambaco was in Paris during the late spring through the summer, and returned to London in the autumn.
Rossetti letter to Madox Brown 23 January 1869: Poor Ned's affairs have come to a smash altogether, and he and Topsy, after the most dreadful to-do, started for Rome suddenly, leaving the Greek damsel beating up the quarters of all his friends for him and howling like Cassandra. Georgie stayed behind. I hear to-day however that Top and Ned got no further than Dover, Ned being so dreadfully ill that they will probably have to return to London.
In January 1869 his wife Georgina found a letter from Maria in his clothing and Burne-Jones reluctantly ended the affair.