Edmund Blair Leighton

Bought from the artist through Arthur Tooth & Sons by J. McCulloch Esq.;
Christie's London, 16 June 1909, lot 78, bought by Frost & Reed, London;
Christie's, 24 May 1910, lot 108;
Christie's, 22 June 1917, bought by 'Mitchell';
Sotheby's, Witley Park in Surrey, 27 March 1952, bought by Polak & Pleacock;
Rapps Konsthandel, Stockholm by 1953 from whom purchased by the father of the present owner

London, Royal Academy, 1891, no. 558

Royal Academy Pictures, 1891, illustrated p. 25

STRUCTURE The canvas has been relined and is stable. CATALOGUE COMPARISON The illustration is broadly representative but the colours to the woman's face and dress are a little more subtle in reality. PAINT SURFACE The paint surface is in good,clean condition with an even varnish. There are traces of a craquelure pattern in the sky and to the steps in the lower right corner. There is one small fleck of paint loss off the lower edge in the centre (visible in the catalogue illustration). ULTRAVIOLET UV light reveals spots of retouching to the figures faces. This has been sensitively executed. the reats of the painting is in good, original condition with no further signs of restoration or retouching. FRAME Held in a plaster gilt frame in fair condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

In one of Blair Leighton's obituary notices written shortly after his death in 1923, Lay thy Sweet Hand in Mine and Trust in Me was said to be among the artist's best-known works. The popularity of the picture was largely due to the publication of a fine quality print of the painting following it's exhibition at the Royal Academy in 1891. The tender sentiment of the painting appealed to a Victorian public for whom such pictures evoked the romance of an earlier time that was seen as a Golden Age of romance. The setting is at the moorings of a grand English country house where a Regency family group are preparing to take to the waters for a pleasure ride. The squire's young daughter is being helped into the vessel by her admirer and the roses that are blooming along the balustrade and at the wooden bower, emphasise his amorous regard. The title of the picture was taken from a poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

The subject of a riverside romantic encounter had been used by Leighton in his painting None so Deaf as Those who won't Hear of 1889 in which a besotted young ferryman cannot hear the bellow of a passenger on the other bank because he is engrossed in his adoration of a beautiful girl. The models appear to be the same as in Lay thy Sweet Hand in Mine and Trust in Me. Leighton made a speciality of such amorous narratives and as Yockney observed; 'the artist has generally viewed the lover's progress with an optimistic eye. Even in those cases when difficulties and separations are depicted, it seems probable that there are silver linings to the clouds. She is not there at the appointed time, but he need not be apprehensive. Friends must part, but they will meet again. It is never adieu, always au revoir. Will that elopement succeed? We think so, for the pursuers have reached the bank of the river and the only boat is already in mid-stream. Even in the most serious case of all, when he loves and rides away, it is possible he will return. As for the alternative swain, when he has two strings to her bow, he will undoubtedly find consolation. We are inclined to have confidence in the development of these episodes, though the outlook at the moment seems serious enough. The situations are very real, and though the artist contrives to make us suppose that all will come right in the end, he never fails to engage our attention with the difficulties of the present. This power to enlist sympathy is one of the passports to popularity.' (Alfred Yockney, The Art of E. Blair Leighton, 1913, pp.14-17)

We are grateful to Kara Lysandra Ross for her assistance with the provenance ofr this picture, which will be included in her forthcoming catalogue raisonne of the artist.