Jeanne d'Arc of France

"She is a child, and that is all ye seem to see. Keep to that superstition if you must, but you perceive that this child understands this complex game of war as well as any of you; and if you want my opinion without the trouble of asking for it... by God, I think she can teach the best of you how to play it!"
- Mark Twain on La Hire's comments to the French war council
(Twain, Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, 177).
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For this portrait of Jeanne d'Arc, I took inspiration from several depictions of the famous Maid of Orléans. For Jeanne's appearance, I consulted Philippe de Bergame's vague reference to Jeanne's "mediocre height, rustic countenance, black hair, and strong body." The overall pose and the design of the spaulders are loosely based on Marie d'Orléans' 1837 sculpture. The breastplate is influenced by both Emmanuel Frémiet's 1874 equestrian statue and Albert Lynch's 1903 engraving. Finally, the shape of the dress is inspired by the statue of Jeanne at the Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy.
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