Lady Godiva’s Prayer

Lady Godiva’s Prayer is a history paintingArtistic genre characterised by its depiction of a moment in a story usually taken from Greek or Roman mythology, or the Bible, in an elevated and morally edifying manner. by the English artist Edwin Landseer (1802–1873), begun in the 1840s and completed in 1865.^[1] Following its display at the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition, it was criticised for its historical anachronisms, such as the incongruous costume of the servant, more reminiscent of the 17th century than the late Anglo-Saxon period.^[2][3] The painting nevertheless sold for £3,360 at auction in 1873, equivalent to about £412,000 as at 2025.^[4][a]Calculated using the retail price index.^[5]

The painting depicts Lady Godiva, the noblewoman famous for her apocryphal nude ride through the streets of Coventry in protest against the oppressive taxation that her husband had imposed on his tenants. She is shown mounted on horseback sidesaddle, saying a prayer before she begins. An elderly serving woman stands nearby with her eyes closed.^[3]

Lady Godiva’s Prayer was donated to the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in Coventry by W. H. Bassett-Green in 1948.^[1]