Lay Thy Sweet Hand In Mine And Trust In Me 1891

Edmund Blair Leighton painted "Lay Thy Sweet Hand In Mine And Trust In Me" with oils on canvas, a favored choice of academic painters for its smooth, refined finish. The surface suggests a careful application of paint in thin layers to build up color and form, as well as a great deal of work. Just consider the layers of expectation embedded in the painting's narrative. The scene is one of poised transition, caught between the safety of the shore and the uncertainty of the water. The woman's clothing, fashionable and delicate, indicates her social position, while the act of being helped into the boat points to both her privilege and a sense of vulnerability. The labor here is not simply the creation of the painting, but also the social work done by such images in constructing gender and class relations. Ultimately, the material reality of the painting reminds us that all art is made with choices—of subject, style, and, of course, the very stuff of creation.