The composition of the painting: the devotional altar sitting in darkness, autumn leaves of change falling upon Mariana's embroidery table and Mariana gazing at the vastness of the outdoors points towards the narrative that she is waiting for the return of her fiancé, who rejected her after the loss of her dowry.

The focal point of the piece is Mariana’s feminine body which is enhanced by the curvature of her spine and demonstrates a sense of erotic desire for her unrequited lover.  

The first is their kiss, a representation of their forbidden desire for one another. They appear to be reading the adulterous story of Sir Lancelot, whose dress parallels that of Paolo’s.

The second and third show Virgil and Dante Alighieri looking upon the lovers with concern and the lovers being violently blown through ‘The infernal storm’ of hell’s second circle.

Their story has had an unprecedented impact on popular culture in recent years, including a song by Hozier dedicated to the lovers and aptly titled ‘Francesca’.