Holy Warrior: Joan of Arc as Military Leader and Saint

 

“Warrior Saint”––a term applicable to the famous Joan of Arc, is one that encapsulates the duality of her public persona: that of both fearsome military leader and religious figure.  Jeanne d'Arc is a complex figure, whose humble background as a peasant girl from the village of Domremy poignantly contrasts her later role as leader of men. From her humble origins she was elevated by a divine call, and at the age of thirteen she first claimed to hear the voice of God. This communication with the divine led to the second part of her identity: that of military leader. When Joan was presented to King Charles VII she asserted she had been given a divine call to, “lead his armies, put down rebels, expel the enemies and regain possession of his lands,” clearly a quintessentially militant endeavor.

These dual roles of the Maid of Orleans are reflected in the art used to depict her. Both painting and sculpture have historically been popular forms of art used to portray Joan of Arc. Monumental sculpture in particular is an interesting medium to her, as statues give eternal life to figures in a nation’s history it wishes to emulate, elevate, and honor. Statues of Joan of Arc often depict her regally astride a horse in full military regalia. The myriad of paintings of La Pucelle depict the young French girl in dramatically different ways depending on the point of narrative chosen and the formal elements used. The two aspects of Joan of Arc’s identity, both religious and military, are therefore displayed differently in art used to represent her––with different emphasis placed on each depending on the choices of the artist.

       

Emmanuel Frémiet

Joan of Arc

1890
Gilded bronze on granite base

Height 15′, width 4'8", depth 7'4"

Association for Public Art Philadelphia

Frémiet’s statue depicts Joan of Arc at her highest point, leading the King’s troops against the English, with intense focus and absolute authority. Her gaze is intense and resolute, her posture erect as she proudly bears the French standard. Both her and her horse are outfitted in full armor, and she carries a sword in a scabbard on her hip. Fremiet believed in making monuments lifesize because he thought art should parallel life––and that Joan of Arc’s greatness lay in the fact that she was human. Not gilded until 1960, the gilding actually serves an interesting purpose as it intertwines Joan of Arc’s military and religious identities. Military in that this monumental statue depicts her as a warrior armed for battle, but the gold evokes the artistic history of illuminating religious figure which set them apart as chosen by God.

                                                      

Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington

                Joan of Arc 

1915

Bronze, Mohegan granite

20 ft. 4 in. x 6 ft. 1 in. x 12 ft. 3 in.

Collection of the City of New York

   In Hyatt Huntington’s sculpture La Pucelle is again fully clad in armor, standing upright in her stirrups. One of her arms reaches skyward brandishing a sword and the other expertly handles her reins; her eyes are laser focused on her sword. The sculpture is dynamic, with Joan of Arc leaning eagerly forward as if in motion and the horse lifting its right leg high as if poised to break into a run. Hyatt Huntington’s Joan cuts an imposing figure, outfitted in full medieval armor and towering over the viewer, with the base of the statue at eye level. Hyatt Huntington herself was rather imposing: a 6-foot-tall socialite and one of the few commercially successful female artists of her time––we know from her writing that she admired and identified with the Maid of Orleans. Like Frémiet, Hyatt Huntington depicts Joan of Arc in battle, in command, and in a position of power and military might.

                 

 Paul Dubois

              Joan of Arc

Bronze

1922

10 ft. × 88 in.

Meridian Hill Park, Washington D.C.

Dubois’ statue is the only equestrian statue of a woman in the nation’s Capital, and was given to the United States by the Society of French Women of New York. Similar to Frémiet and Huntington, this equestrian statue of Joan of Arc is in full armor, and similar to Frémiet’s statue she bears a sword. This Joan however appears to be gazing skyward to heaven, as if supplicating the celestial powers, connecting her military persona with her heavenly call. Despite the very active posture, her expression appears almost pensive. Interestingly, when it comes to facial expression Dubois’ Joan has more in common with Everett Millais than Hyatt Huntington or Frémiet; both Millais and Dubois showing a thoughtful, contemplative, Joan of Arc. Thus, similar to the way the Frémiet statue uses gilding to incorporate the more religious aspect of Joan of Arc into a combat-oriented statue, Dubois does something similar with his contemplative Joan. 

John Everett Millais

Joan of Arc

1865

Oil on Canvas

Height: 82 cm (32.2 in); Width: 62 cm (24.4 in)

Private Collection

Everett Millais’ portrait dramatically depicts a young Joan of Arc kneeling in prayer, very frontal, outfitted in armor, with a sword resting on her lap. She kneels with her face tilted upward towards heaven, her forlorn gaze at odds with her warrior garb. The point in the narrative Everett Millais has chosen to depict is when La Pucelle is being encouraged by the Saints Michael, Margaret, and Catherine, therefore, though clothed as a warrior, this painting highlights the spiritual nature of Joan of Arc. Similar to Caravaggio, Everett Millais makes strong use of Chiaroscuro, spotlighting Joan in an ethereal light, with light gleaming off of her armor, the background fading into a darkness that is almost black. Thus, aside from the obvious spirituality of the occupation she is engaged in (prayer) Everett Millais highlights the spiritual nature of the figure Joan of Arc in his use of light––highlighting her in a celestial glow.

Hermann Anton Stilke

Appearance of Sts Catherine and Michael to Joan of Arc (Lef-Hand Part of ''The Life of Joan of Arc'' Triptych)

1843

Oil on canvas

119.5x83.5 cm

Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg

This triptych by Hermann Anton Stilke recalls Biblical paintings of the Annunciation, and Joan herself seems like a Mary figure, her kneeling posture and arm position strikingly similar to representations of Mary in paintings such as Esteban Bartolomé Murillo’s The Annunciation. The saints in Stilke’s painting dominate much of the canvas, and are surrounded by a golden aura; both extend their right hands towards the kneeling Joan of Arc as if anointing her. Joan herself occupies considerably less space, dressed not in armor but in a simple red dress, carrying a staff and straw hat to mark her as a peasant. There are few hints of the warrior Joan of Arc, and the authority she possesses in this painting comes from the spiritual power bestowed upon her by the heavenly powers, not in her military prowess.

               

Peter Paul Rubens

Joan of Arc at Prayer

c. 1620

Oil on Canvas

181.6 cm x 116.2 cm

North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, North Carolina

Kneeling on a brightly patterned rug, Rubens’ Joan of Arc demonstrates her piety by praying to a crucifix. Similar to Everett Millais’ depiction of the Maid of Orleans, Rubens’ Joan of Arc is dressed in armor, connoting her military abilities, but is occupied in the spiritual occupation of prayer. Instead of a very frontal position, like is seen in Millais’ painting, this Joan is being viewed almost in twisted perspective: mostly in profile, but with much of her face visible. This is likely to give a clear view of her focused expression, absorbed but not forlorn, which seems intent on gaining heavenly wisdom.

           

Jules Bastien-Lepage

Joan of Arc

1879  

Oil on Canvas

100" x 110"

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

Similar to Anton Stilke, Bastien-Lepage depicts a young looking Joan of Arc in the simple garb of a peasant. Bastien-Lepage emphasizes the spiritual aspect of Joan of Arc’s persona in two main ways; one is more obvious in the form of the spectral figures of Saints Michael, Margaret, and Catherine hovering behind Joan of Arc. The other is the Maid of Orleans’ otherworldly expression––she stares absently into the distance as if seeing a transcendent vision. The repetition of the blue in her eyes and the blue of her bodice draws even more attention to the haunting look in her expression.