This drawing is a study for one of the angels in The Nativity, one of Burne-Jones's two large decorative paintings for the chancel of St John's Church, Torquay. In the painting, this angel holds the crown of thorns. Pastels of the composition are in the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, and Walsall Museum and Art Gallery.
We are grateful to Scott Thomas Buckle for his help in preparing this catalogue entry.