God Speed is a painting by British artist Edmund Leighton, depicting an armored knight departing to war and leaving his beloved. 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.[1] A griffin on the banister of the stairs is a symbol of strength and military courage.[1] The knight departs through a castle gate with portcullis. The painting was exhibited in the Royal Academy of Arts in 1900