''Joan of Arc'' is a 1922 cast of

Paul Dubois Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...

's 1889 statue of Joan of Arc, located at

Meridian Hill Park Meridian Hill Park, also known as Malcolm X Park, is a structured urban park located in the Washington, D.C., neighborhood of Columbia Heights, Washington, D.C., Columbia Heights; it also abuts the nearby neighborhood of Adams Morgan. The park wa ...

in Washington, D.C., United States of America. ''Joan of Arc'' was originally surveyed as part of the Smithsonian's Save Outdoor Sculpture! survey in 1994.

Description

''Joan of Arc'' is an

equestrian statue An equestrian statue is a statue of a rider mounted on a horse, from the Latin ''eques'', meaning 'knight', deriving from ''equus'', meaning 'horse'. A statue of a riderless horse is strictly an equine statue. A full-sized equestrian statue is a d ...

, with

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronati ...

riding a trotting horse, resting upon a three-tiered

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...

base (H. 52 in. x W 11. ft.). Her body is twisted slightly, and her right arm is raised behind her. She is wearing a helmet with a raised visor and she looks skywards. In her left hand she holds the reins to her horse. The sword she originally held in her right hand was stolen in 1978, and not replaced until December 2011. The pedestal was designed by American artist H.L. Davis."Joan of Arc Statue Ready For Capital", ''American Art News''. Vol 20, No. 4., p. 4. The front of the base has the inscription: :JEANNE D'ARC :LIBERATRICE :1412–1431 :AUX FEMMES D'AMERIQUE :LES FEMMES DE FRANCE :A NEW YORK :LE 6 January 1922

Location

In 1921 the United States Commission of Fine Arts suggested that the sculpture be placed at the terrace of Meridian Hill Park.

Acquisition

The piece was first proposed in May 1916 by Mme Polifème to the Commission of Fine Arts in order to celebrate the friendship between France and the United States. During its creation, DuBois worked closely with the French Minister of Education and Fine Arts in producing a credible representation of the peasant girl.Brigham, Gertrude Richardson. "A New Memorial to Jeanne D'Arc in Washington", ''Art and Archeology'', Vol. 13, 1922, p. 96. The statue was completed in 1922 in Paris; the original ( fr) was cast in three copies, currently located respectively in

Reims Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne. Founded by ...

(1890),

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

(1895) and

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...

(1897). The replica in Washington was donated by Le Lyceum Société des Femmes de France to the women of the United States of America.Field, Cynthia R., Isabelle Gournay and Thomas P. Somma. ''Paris on the Potomac''. Ohio University Press, 2007, p. 67.

Dedication

On 6 January 1923 when the piece was dedicated,

President Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular sitting U.S. presidents. ...

and the French Ambassador were the guests of honor. Mrs. Harding and Mme Jusserand, who represented France, also attended.

Reception

According to the National Commission of Fine Art it was described, at the time, as being "regarded by artists as the finest equestrian statue of modern times."

Henry Bacon Henry Bacon (November 28, 1866February 16, 1924) was an American Beaux-Arts architect who is best remembered for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. (built 1915–1922), which was his final project. Education and early career Henr ...

wrote that "Dubois's statue of Jeanne D'Arc is one of the fine things of the world and no setting is too good for it."

Information

It is the only equestrian statue of a woman in Washington, D.C. On the 500th anniversary of Joan's

martyrdom A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external ...

, Paul Claudel, Ambassador of France, held a tribute to the Saint.Morrison, Ella J., "Chronicler's Report for 1929" ''Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C.'', Vol 33/34, pp. 341. ''Historical Society of Washington, D.C.'',Retrieved 25 January 2011.

Condition

The sculpture was surveyed for condition in 1994 and was described as needing treatment.

References

External links

''Joan of Arc'' on dcMemorials

Ghosts of DC Then and Now: ''Joan of Arc'' Statue in Meridian Hill Park
– historical context and quotes from old ''Washington Post'' articles
https://dcmemorialist.com/joan-of-arc/
{{Public art in Washington, D.C. 1922 sculptures Artworks in the collection of the National Park Service Bronze sculptures in France category:Bronze sculptures in Paris Bronze sculptures in Washington, D.C. Equestrian statues in Washington, D.C. Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park Outdoor sculptures in Washington, D.C. Sculptures of women in Washington, D.C. Works about Joan of Arc Statues of military officers Cultural depictions of Joan of Arc