William Holmes Sullivan: Lady Godiva

Public Domain Image: Lady Godiva (1877), oil on cardboard painting by British painter William Holmes Sullivan, dimension 40 cm x 30 cm

Video: Alyssa Milano as Lady Godiva

In this video the American actress Alyssa Milano enacts the role of the Anglo-Saxon noblewoman Lady Godiva, the legendary fighter who rode horseback naked through the streets of Coventry, in England, to fight against the oppressive taxes imposed by her husband on his tenants.

Statue of Lady Godiva by William Reid Dick

Statue of Lady Godiva on a horse, by Scottish sculptor William Reid Dick (1879-1961) in Broadgate, Coventry, England, unveiled on 22 October 1949.

Lady Godiva by John Collier

Image: Lady Godiva (1898) by British artist John Maler Collier (1850-1934).

The Anglo-Saxon noblewoman Lady Godiva (1040-1080) rode naked on horseback through the streets of Coventry in England in order to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation imposed by her husband on his tenants, according to legends. Her legend, ever since, has inspired several hundreds of paintings, sculptures, books, films and other cultural aspects.