Tag Archives: naked

Stark naked and crouching on a pedestal in London’s Mayfair

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MY PARENTS HAD a small collection of works of modern art in our home in London’s Hampstead Garden Suburb. These included an engraving by the Italian artist Emilio Greco (1913-1995). I have no idea where this image is now, but having grown up with it I was familiar with the artist’s name even if I knew nothing about him.

Today (14 July 2025) while walking near the Connaught Hotel in Mayfair, we passed a modern fountain, and close to it, a bronze sculpture of a naked woman, perched on a cylindrical stone pedestal. On the pedestal are carved the words: “A gift to the City of Westminster from the President of the Italian Republic. 20th November 1987. Sponsored by the Italian Bank in London.” The President at that time was Francesco Cossiga (1928-2010).  There was no mention of the creator of this artwork on the pedestal. However, at the base of the sculpture I could make out: “Emilio Greco 1977”. It had been made by the artist, whose engraving used to hang on the wall of our living room.

A website (https://pssauk.org/public-sculpture-of-britain/biography/greco-emilio/) provides some information about the artist, and his sculpture in Mayfair, which is a bronze casting of his sculpture “Crouching Figure No. 4”, created in 1973.  

The sculpture is a great addition to the area, and is sometimes referred to as ‘Mayfair Lady’!

Was she truly naked in her horse?

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LADY GODIVA WHO died sometime in the second half of the 11th century (AD), has often been depicted by artists as riding nude through the city of Coventry. She was an Anglo-Saxon aristocrat, who was married to Leofric Earl of Mercia.

According to legend, she made her famous horse ride through Coventry to protest against excessive taxation that her husband had imposed on the people.

Most artists have portrayed her as being totally nude, thus producing images or sculptures with some pornographic content.

The Herbert Art Gallery in Coventry has a small gallery dedicated to Godiva. Most of the artworks on display show her without any clothing. However, one painting shows her on her horse but wearing plain, unrevealing simple garments. This is most likely how Lady Godiva was dressed on her ride. The reason is that penitents used to wear unadorned undergarments when processing in public. It is most likely that Godiva, who would have normally worn fancy clothing and jewellery, rode through the city devoid of these trappings of wealth and position – this would have been described as ‘naked’.

Our short visit to the Godiva exhibit was most interesting because it opened our eyes to another interpretation of Lady Godiva and her protest.