This picture shows two figures in intimate conversation, but does not reveal what they might be discussing, despite a bewildering array of clues. The title is equally neutral, for a time it was thought the painting illustrated the legend of Faust and showed Faust and Marguerite, but this is by no means certain. One reason for the lack of certainty is that the artist painted a number of works representing pairs of lovers in the 1850s and 1860s which all seem to share a vague title: others include ‘The Loving Cup’ and ‘The Falconer’ and might well not illustrate any text at all. The mediaeval costumes and setting of this painting, with the dominant Romanesque arch framing the lovers, are typical characteristics of the artist. The architecture has the emotional suggestion of a cloister in a monastery garden, in other words a private world of study and romance.