God Speed by Edmund Leighton Poster

God Speed is a painting by British artist Edmund Leighton, depicting an armoured knight departing to war and leaving his beloved. The painting was exhibited in the Royal Academy of Arts in 1900. God Speed was the first of several paintings by Leighton in the 1900s on the subject of chivalry, the others being The Accolade and The Dedication. The woman ties a red sash around the knight's arm, which he is meant to return, a medieval custom which assured both parties that they would be reunited, alive and well. A griffin on the newel post of the stairs is a symbol of strength and military courage. The knight departs through a castle gate with portcullis; others can be seen leaving through the gate.