Question 461: Oh Heavenly Delight

The lady in this picture is the patron saint of all engineers ( lucky B*st*rds), and the reason behind it was that most engineering colleges in England had sprung up during the Industrial Revolution. When it migrated to the US, it remained as the mascot (no surprises) and was passed onto their various drinking songs (again, lucky B*st*rds). Her story was often regaled by rogues in MIT and other engineering colleges, and often enacted over there by females ( lucky guys), and sometimes by  guys (what the deuce?), until strong feminist views stopped these practices  (was it against the girls doing it or the guys?)

Her influence isn't only encompassed by those engineers, as she finds her find figure upon chocolates, a pop music festival, poems (obviously), pictures ( they have more?), and movies (someone send me a link).

As for the question

1) ID the fine piece of art (im not talking about the painting, smirk)

2) Ignore the comments

3) And why is she portrayed as such?

(And why she should be portrayed so again,lol)

Answer:

1) Lady Godiva
2) Thanks for ignoring the comments
3) Reason: According to the popular story, Lady Godiva took pity on the people of Coventry, who were suffering grievously under her husband's oppressive taxation. Lady Godiva appealed again and again to her husband, who obstinately refused to remit the tolls. At last, weary of her entreaties, he said he would grant her request if she would strip naked and ride through the streets of the town. Lady Godiva took him at his word and, after issuing a proclamation that all persons should stay indoors and shut their windows, she rode through the town, clothed only in her long hair. Only one person in the town, a tailor ever afterwards known as Peeping Tom, disobeyed her proclamation in one of the most famous instances of voyeurism. In the story, Tom bores a hole in his shutters so that he might see Godiva pass, and is struck blind. In the end, Godiva's husband keeps his word and abolishes the onerous taxes.