Edwin Long was a self-taught painter from Bath. He traveled extensivelly in Spain, where he copied Murillo and Velázquez, and painted scenes of Spanish life. By 1858 he had settled in London, painting portraits and historical subjects. His work was well received, and from these commissions he was able to afford a life-style which included two houses by the noted architect Norman Shaw. Long first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1855, becoming a full member in 1881. In this year his painting The Babylonian Marriage Market fetched the highest auction price recorded in Victorian times. John Ruskin proclaimed that it was suitable for the Anthropological Society; however, it was purchased by Thomas Holloway in 1881 and is now at the Royal Holloway College, London.

In the tradition of Leighton, Poynter and Alma-Tadema, Love's Labor Lost fits perfectly in the oeuvre of Long. His penchant for Egyptian settings, coupled with a tale of morality, resulted in theatrical paintings that have a contemplative quality. Several examples of these works are located in the Russell-Cotes Museum in Bouremouth.