Joan of Arc (DuBois)
Encyclopedia
Joan of Arc is a public artwork by Paul Dubois, located at Meridian Hill Park
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.
riding a trotting horse, resting upon a three-tiered granite
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. The pedestal was designed by American artist H.L. Davis.
The front of the base has the inscription:
suggested that the sculpture be placed at the terrace of Meridian Hill Park.
The statue was completed in 1922 in Paris; the original is located in Reims
, France
in front of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame. The replica in Washington was donated by Le Lyceum Société des Femmes de France to the women of the United States of America.
and the French Ambassador were the guests of honor. Mrs. Harding and Mme Jusserand, who represented France, also attended.
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."
On the 500th anniversary of Joan's martyrdom, Paul Claudel
, Ambassador of France, held a tribute to the Saint.
Meridian Hill Park
Meridian Hill Park, is located in the Washington, D.C. neighborhood of Columbia Heights in the United States. The 12 acres of landscaped grounds are maintained by the National Park Service as part of Rock Creek Park, but are not contiguous with the main part of that park...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, United States of America. Joan of Arc was originally surveyed as part of the Smithsonian's
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
Save Outdoor Sculpture!
Save Outdoor Sculpture!
Save Outdoor Sculpture! is a community-based effort to identify, document, and conserve outdoor sculpture in the United States. By fostering awareness and appreciation, SOS! aims to advocate proper care of a nationwide public resource....
survey in 1994.
Description
Joan of Arc is an equestrian statue, with Joan of ArcJoan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
riding a trotting horse, resting upon a three-tiered granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
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. The pedestal was designed by American artist H.L. Davis.
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 ArtsUnited States Commission of Fine Arts
The United States Commission of Fine Arts , established in 1910 by an act of Congress, is an advisory agency of the Federal government.The CFA is mandated to review and provide advice on "matters of design and aesthetics", involving federal projects and planning in Washington, D.C...
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.The statue was completed in 1922 in Paris; the original is located in Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in front of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame. The replica in Washington was donated by Le Lyceum Société des Femmes de France to the women of the United States of America.
Dedication
On January 6, 1922 when the piece was dedicated President HardingWarren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator...
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 BaconHenry Bacon
Henry Bacon was an American Beaux-Arts architect who is best remembered for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. , which was his final project.- Education and early career :...
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, Paul Claudel
Paul Claudel
Paul Claudel was a French poet, dramatist and diplomat, and the younger brother of the sculptor Camille Claudel. He was most famous for his verse dramas, which often convey his devout Catholicism.-Life:...
, Ambassador of France, held a tribute to the Saint.