Lady Godiva by John Collier

Lady Godiva was the original fashionista who truly embraced the 'bare essentials'—with her horse being the only thing she didn’t leave at home!

Lady Godiva is a famous 1897 painting by John Collier, an English artist known for his Pre-Raphaelite style. This oil-on-canvas artwork shows Lady Godiva during her legendary ride through Coventry, England. The painting is displayed in the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry.

Originally owned by social reformer Thomas Hancock Nunn, the painting was donated after his death in 1937. If Hampstead declined the bequest, Nunn's will specified it be offered to Coventry, where it now resides. The model for Lady Godiva was Mabel Paul, an artist's model and West End actress.

The painting features a young woman riding a white horse, symbolizing purity. The horse is draped in gold-embroidered cloth matching the cloak's design. Lady Godiva is portrayed as delicate and beautiful, with long brown hair covering her modesty. Her posture shows modesty and grace, with only a wedding ring as her accessory. The background displays soft colors, showing medieval houses and a Benedictine monastery that Lady Godiva and her husband funded. Collier used aerial perspective techniques for depth. Interestingly, the painting omits "Peeping Tom," the legendary figure who spied on Lady Godiva and was struck blind.