Saint Joan
Today marks the feast day of Joan of Arc, who was burned at the stake in Rouen, France, on this day in 1431.
Joan of Arc, the ³Maid of Orléans,² was a popular subject in America and France as an example of feminine courage. The French legend at the bottom reads, ³my last wishes and thoughts are for my God, my country, and my king,² words she proclaimed just before her execution. The flags at the top bear the lilies of royal France and symbols of the city of Orléans, where in 1429 she led the French army in victory over English invaders. This remarkable artwork was made by burning and etching the wood with red-hot tools, a technique called pyrography.
Source: Richard Murray. The Gilded Age: Treasures from the Smithsonian American Art Museum (exhibition text, Smithsonian American Art Museum, 1999).
Pictured: J. William Fosdick, 1858–1937, Adoration of St. Joan of Arc, 1896, fire etched wood relief, three panels, each 109 3/4 x 49 1/2 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William T. Evans.
Today marks the feast day of Joan of Arc, who was burned at the stake in Rouen, France, on this day in 1431.
Joan of Arc, the ³Maid of Orléans,² was a popular subject in America and France as an example of feminine courage. The French legend at the bottom reads, ³my last wishes and thoughts are for my God, my country, and my king,² words she proclaimed just before her execution. The flags at the top bear the lilies of royal France and symbols of the city of Orléans, where in 1429 she led the French army in victory over English invaders. This remarkable artwork was made by burning and etching the wood with red-hot tools, a technique called pyrography.