Liefdessmart was not created as a portrait, but rather a view of a moment of infinite sadness. This work was inspired by a young girl sitting in a restaurant in Paris telling Eloff about a young Austrian man that had abandoned her. Unknown to her, the same Austrian man walk up behind her and closed her eyes with his hands. At that moment, she bent her neck backwards in response and Eloff saw the infinite sadness on her face. This experience stirred the creation of this work, also known as Douleur de la volupté or painful pleasure. Love’s Anguish was donated by Eloff to the University of Pretoria when it was still known as the Transvaal University College.