A study for the painting of this title exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1883 and purchased at the time for the Manchester City Art Gallery. A later version in coloured chalks, dated 1916, was sold in these Rooms on 14 June 1991, lot 11.

The subject is taken from Act II, Scene 2, of Shakespeare's Julius Casesar. Calphurnia, Caesar's wife, is seen imploring him not to go to the senate-house, where he will be murdered.