A la Maud Allen

[mariana79]

Hello,
In D.H Lawrence`s Women in love, there`s a part where they talk about Loerke`s painting of a nude girl and signing it "Lady Godiva" and they compare her to Maud Allen the dancer of Salome, I just don`t seem to get the dialogue and the whole comparison thing. Why does Gudrun say a la Maud Allen? what does a la Maud Allen mean here?

Gerald had picked up the picture and was looking at it. It attracted him also. He saw on the pedestal, that the piece was called `Lady Godiva.'

`But this isn't Lady Godiva,' he said, smiling good-humouredly. `She was the middle-aged wife of some Earl or other, who covered herself with her long hair.'

`A la Maud Allan,' said Gudrun with a mocking grimace.

`Why Maud Allan?' he replied. `Isn't it so? I always thought the legend was that.'

 

[Keith Bradford]

A la (or more correctly à la, note the accent) means in the style of. Didn't Maud Allen/Salome dance naked? The point about the Godiva story is that she rode naked through Coventry in a wager with her husband. Immortalised in a statue in the town centre. The "long hair" bit was probably a Victorian addition to the legend.

See http://www.fancyacuppa.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/GodivaCoventry.jpg

For numerous pictures of Maud Allen, see "Maud Allan" salome - Recherche Google

 

[Andygc]

Gerald is suggesting that Lady Godiva covered her nudity with her long hair. Gudrun is saying "Oh yes, just like Maud Allan". That is, Lady Godiva's hair left as little of her nudity to the imagination as did Maud Allan's Salome. Maud Allan created a sensation in Edwardian London by her very thin and revealing costume - her stomach and legs were bare!

 

[mariana79]

Thank you both