Repose in Love (2023)

Repose in Love (2023) reflects tenderness, intimacy, and quiet devotion. Through warm Baroque light and emotional realism, Georgina M. Cox captures a moment of stillness where love exists without spectacle, held in the quiet rhythm of touch and trust.

⤷ When I painted Repose in Love, I wanted to explore intimacy in its quietest form. It isn’t a grand declaration or a cinematic embrace; it’s the kind of love that reveals itself in silence. The composition centres on two figures at rest, the man’s head resting against the woman’s lap while she gently holds him, her gaze soft and protective. At their side, a white cat keeps vigil, completing the triangle of warmth and calm.

The title reflects both physical rest and emotional surrender. “Repose” suggests peace, but also a deep trust — the act of letting yourself be held. I wanted to capture the beauty of that vulnerability, the way love can exist without movement, without words, and still fill an entire room.

The lighting is drawn from Baroque influences, using chiaroscuro to create intimacy rather than drama. The surrounding darkness presses close, yet never feels suffocating. It frames the figures in a gentle spotlight, giving the scene an almost sacred atmosphere. The soft folds of fabric and the glow on the skin are painted to feel tactile and lived-in, not idealised.

The inclusion of the cat adds a layer of realism and tenderness. It grounds the composition in domestic familiarity and symbolises comfort, devotion, and the unspoken presence of companionship. Together, the three create a tableau of peace — love, human and otherwise, existing harmoniously in stillness.

Thematically, Repose in Love continues my exploration of emotional sincerity, connection, and the quiet rituals of closeness. It asks what remains when love isn’t performed or spoken. The result is a scene that feels both deeply private and universally understood.

Ultimately, the painting is about rest as love — the kind that doesn’t need to prove itself, only to be shared.