The story of Joan of Arc, a young girl called to save France by the saints, has been an inspiration to many for centuries. Her tale begins in the village of Domrémy, where the thirteen-year old began receiving visions of the archangel Michael, Saint Catherine of Alexandria, and Saint Margaret of Antioch. At sixteen, she left her village to fight in the Hundred Years’ War and bring Charles VII to his throne. But after a short triumph in seeing him crowned, Joan was captured by the English and burned at the stake.
Joan’s story is well-known, but the stories of the saints who she claimed supported her are less famous today. Saints have been major figures in Christian art almost since the church began, with each saint having particular symbols and patronages. Saint Catherine of Alexandria was said to be a beautiful young girl, the only daughter of King Costus. She was martyred after refusing to worship the Roman gods, and today is the patron of groups such as philosophers, nurses, and spinners. Saint Margaret of Antioch was also a beautiful noble girl, but was supposedly martyred after the prefect Olybrius determined to have her as a mistress or a slave and discovered her faith. Today, St. Margaret is the patron of farmers, pregnant women, soldiers, and teachers. The following curation shows the iconography of St. Michael, St. Margaret, and St. Catherine and their use in portrayals of Joan of Arc’s calling.
Unknown, Novgorod School, The Archangel Michael from the deesis tier, mid to late 14th c., 32.68” x 24.8”. Located in the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
Valencian painter, Saint Michael and the Dragon, c. 1405, tempera on wood, gold ground, 41.375” x 40.75”. MET: 12.192.
This painting depicts a spiritual battle – again indicated by the characteristic gold background – between St. Michael and a dragon, representing Satan or the forces of evil. Michael is standing over the dragon in triumph and is ready to deliver the killing blow with his long sword. Here archangel Michael’s warrior aspect is clearly seen, equipped with both sword and armor. His brightly colored armor and halo form a stark contrast with the writhing demon below.
Workshop of Agnolo Gaddi, Saint Margaret and the Dragon, c. 1390, tempera on wood, gold ground, 9.125” x 8”. MET: 41.190.23.
According to her legends, St. Margaret of Antioch was a beautiful shepherd girl who became a Christian around the age of fourteen. When a prefect, who desired to marry her for her beauty, discovered her Christian faith, Margaret was imprisoned and tortured. While imprisoned, she fought and overcame a demon in the form of a dragon, depicted here. Margaret was able to emerge triumphantly from the mouth of the dragon because of the small cross she held, which the enemy could not defeat. She was later beheaded, although a sword did not become one of her symbols. As in the first two paintings, this work shows the spiritual realm with a golden background, and an ornate halo shows Margaret’s holiness. St. Margaret also holds a palm branch, a common symbol of the martyr.
St. Catherine was a young princess, the only daughter of King Costus. She was sentenced to imprisonment and starvation by the emperor for her refusal to worship the Roman gods, but Christ sustained her through a dove. The emperor then ordered her death by spiked wheels, but the wheels broke. Finally, she was beheaded and later canonized as a martyr and saint. In Murillo’s Baroque painting, St. Catherine is shown receiving a palm branch and a crown of flowers from an angel, both of which serve as symbols of martyrdom. The flowers also replace Catherine’s typical crown, a reference to her royal heritage. Behind Catherine is her most famous symbol, the spiked wheel. She holds another symbol, the sword used to behead her. Her clothing both calls back to heaven (with the pure white cloth and golden trimmings) and references her status on earth as a princess.
Henryk Siemiradzki, Joan of Arc Kneeling Before an Angel, 1872, oil on canvas, 53.5” x 35.4”. Private collection.
Siemiradzki’s painting is one of the few paintings of Joan of Arc which utilizes iconography in a depiction of Joan’s calling. The unidentified angel stands above Joan, holding a large white and golden banner with a bouquet of lilies at the top. Lilies were a symbol of the Virgin Mary, of fidelity and purity, and of France, so Siemiradzki may have been referencing Joan’s mission or her purity at such a young age. Like Murillo’s artwork, the angel here has a flower crown. The angel’s translucent clothing contributes to the sense of unearthliness surrounding her, reemphasizing her spiritual nature.
Jules Bastien-Lepage, Joan of Arc, 1879, oil on canvas, 100” x 110”. MET: 89.21.1.
In Joan of Arc, a young Joan stands enraptured while the three saints emerge behind her. Michael holds his sword as a challenge to war, while Margaret and Catherine watch with both hope and tears at the knowledge of what is to come. When Jules Bastien-Lepage painted this piece, he referenced past portrayals of St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret through the iconography and styles used in the figures. St. Michael, for instance, has the golden armor referencing both Michael’s position as a warrior and the Byzantine tradition of using gold to indicate the spiritual. St. Catherine has a crown of flowers, and a tiny cross may be seen at Margaret’s feet. Bastien-Lepage also uses the golden color of the wall behind all three saints to show them melting out of the spiritual and into the natural world. Catherine and Margaret’s iconography used here reflects Joan’s fate – she was later martyred and reportedly died while gazing at her confessor’s cross.
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