Lady Godiva was an English noblewoman from the eleventh century, who, according to legend, rode naked through the streets of Coventry on horseback, to oppose taxation laws of the time, imposed by her husband the Earl of Mercia, becoming a feminine legend.
In this sublime sculpture, Dalí adds a surreal touch, adorning Lady Godiva’s body with four fluttering butterflies, symbols often used in his artwork. Symbols of the soul and of change, butterflies insinuate rebirth, infinite transformations, metamorphosis, and natural beauty.
Lady Godiva’s ride has inspired many artists, Dalí in particular used this image from 1976 both in bronze and in various etchings.
The Dalínian Lady Godiva with Butterflies does not hide beneath her abundant hair, but proudly announces her femininity. Her whole figure seems to radiate light and luminescence, the trumpet a symbol of victory pointing to the heavens and the future.
Date: conceived in 1976, first cast in 1984
Material: bronze
Technique: lost wax process
Edition size : 350 + 35 EA
Height : 51 cm
Edition : patina brown
Maquette: original gouache, Lady Godiva with Butterflies, 1976
Direct intervention (created by Dalí): the idea, image, and original maquette
Indirect intervention (created by artisans): lost wax process and patina
