Herbert Draper was born in London and would first be a student of science. He would soon turn to art and after winning a Royal Academy travelling scholarship he would visit Spain, Italy, France, Holland and Belgium. Draper then returned to England and began exhibiting paintings at the Royal Academy. Draper's style was similar to the Pre-Raphaelites, the brotherhood that was formed by Dante Gabriel Rosetti and celebrated the style and subject matter prior to the great Renaissance artist Raphael. Although Draper's art is similar to the Pre-Raphaelites in many ways he was never a member of the brotherhood, he is usually considered instead to be a follower of the Victorian Classicists. However both groups of artists showed typically romantic subject matter with references from literature and greek mythology.