« I am not afraid … I was born to do this »
Saint Joan of Arc
This quotation is without doubt one of the best known from Saint Joan of Arc
Who is She ? A bit of history
Joan of Arc, was a young French peasant born in 1412. Guided by divine visions, she played a decisive role in the Hundred Years' War, contributing to French victories. Captured by the English, she was condemned for heresy and burn at the stake in 1431, becoming an emblematic, even mythical figure in French history.
Recognition by the Republic in the 19th century - and by the Church in the early 20th century
It was during the 19th century that the figure of Saint Joan of Arc became emblematic and recognized:
From 1841 to 1849, the voluminous accounts of Joan of Arc's trial: Procès de condamnation et de réhabilitation de Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc Condemnation and Rehabilitation Trial) was published. She was seen not only as a national heroine and resistance fighter, but also as an authentic saint.
« The bishop of Orléans, also seduced and moved by the trial reports, publicly affirmed in 1855 that Joan of Arc had acted according to divine will. Anxious to reconcile liberal France with the Christian faith, in 1869 he asked Pope Pius IX to initiate her canonization process. »
On April 18, 1909, Joan of Arc was first beatified by Pope Pius X forty years later. She was finally canonized by Pope Benedict XV on May 16, 1920, nearly 500 years after her death.
« Joan of Arc bears witness to the miracles that can be accomplished by a person driven by faith, even when she is a teenager, a shepherdess and illiterate. Her example has universal value. »
The Depiction Saint Joan fo Arc in the Arts
The key events of Joan of Arc’s life were massively represented in French arts and jewellery of the 19th century and early 20th century.
In 1854, Jean-Dominique Ingres depicts her with a halo for the first time on the painting « Jeanne d'Arc au sacre du roi Charles VII », exhibited at the Louvre. « Joan of Arc at the coronation of King Charles VII »
Saint Joan of Arc listening the voices is also a scene massively depicted.
Antique Germain Porcelain Statue of Saint Joan of Arc Listening the Voices
Saint Joan of Arc pendant by Penin
Saint Joan of Arc Burning at the Stake
St Joan of Arc's Life Talking Plates
