Love and his Counterfeits is part of a well-defined Pre-Raphaelite convention of allegorical depictions of Love with processional compositions – following works such as Edward Burne-Jones’s Masque of Cupid, and Byam Shaw’s Love’s Baubles (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1897, and Love the Conqueror, exhibited in 1899. It illustrates a text, probably written by the artist, which appears on the back:

"Love and his Counterfeits When a girl's soul awakens and she opens the door of her Heart's Castle to receive Love, at first she will not recognise him. First, she will see Fear and think him to be Love. Fear, in craven armour of black, with no coat of arms or badge to mark his family. But by Fear, Love may come. Then she will see Romance, being now in love with 'being in love' - Romance, the Boy on a Bubble with a Castle of Dreams in his hand, and Birds and Roses about him. He leads Ambition, who shall stir the girl to think he is Love himself - Ambition, very hot and eager, riding upon Pegasus, the winged Horse. After them is Position, whom she may take for Love; but truly she is in love with Appearance, Prestige, Importance, Riches, Place, all his Train, and this is borne by a Cupid. Now she is stirred by Pity, thinking whom she pities she loves - Pity with the Cup of tears with three handles, that many may drink. Then she perceives Arts, a brave fellow who is but words and emptiness and a mask for love. Arts paints a wound upon him and sings that it is real. To Love he is not henchman, nor cousin, but enemy. Behind him goes Flattery with a mirror, so she is wooed by vain words. Then Gratitude comes with the smoke of memory, and she will think she is faithless if she does not love one who has been kind. Now, at last, after her emotion, her assault by gifts, mirrors, riches, tears, dreams, phrases, memories, comes True Love, empty-handed, to take and win her Heart's Castle."

Fortescue-Brickdale depicts a young girl standing at the doorway of her 'Hearts Castle', watching a procession of figures, all of whom represent some bogus form of love. First come Fear, Romance (making her 'in love with being in love') and Ambition; then Position, offering all the good things of life, and Pity, seeking to gain her heart by appealing to her sympathy. Next comes Arts, 'a brave fellow who is but words and emptiness..., painting a wound upon him and singing that it is real', followed by Flattery, with a mirror, and Gratitude, whose aim is to make her feel guilty 'if she does not love one who has been kind'. Finally True Love appears, 'empty-handed, to take and win her Heart's Castle'.