Charles Fairfax Murray was a close associate of Edward Burne-Jones (1833– 1898), one of the leading so-called Pre-Raphaelite artists active in England in the late nineteenth century. They advocated a revival of interest in medieval art and subject matter, a rebellion against conventional ideas and academic styles, and an assertion of the importance of emotion over intellect.
Murray's composition of The Triumph of Love is loosely based on one of Francesco Petrarch's (1304–1374) popular vernacular poems celebrating six victorious values. This is the first gift of a work of art by Margaret Trevisani Erbe, Tuck 1989, and Henry H. Erbe III, Class of 1984, who have previously donated funds for student internships and faculty research. It embodies the Pre-Raphaelite imitation of early Italian Renaissance art, as well as the latenineteenth-century Arts and Crafts style.