Joan of Arc, by Jules Bastien-Lepage
1879
100 x 110 in. Oil on Canvas. 1879.
Click on the thumbnail for a larger image.
Lorraine, Joan's own homeland in France, was lost to Germany in 1871 in the Franco-Prussian war. As a result, Frenchmen renewed their hope and heroic symbolism in Joan of Arc. Bastien-Lepage, born in Lorraine, began in 1875 to do studies for this painting of Joan, which was completed 4 years later. This is one of my favorites.
Here she is shown receiving revelations from Sts. Michael, Margaret, and Catherine, in her parents' garden. The saints can be seen behind her.
