Heroine of Heroes

Jeanne d’Arc as a Political, Religious, and Queer Icon

Abstract

While her father King Louis-Philippe I (r. 1830-1848) commissioned hundreds of statues and portraits, Princess Marie d’Orléans honed her chisel to become a sculptor in her own right, devoted to the image of Jeanne d’Arc. Five hundred years after Jeanne d’Arc’s mission and execution, when she was not yet beatified and canonized by the Church, why did she capture the attention of this royal young woman? As a recurring icon across time and space, Jeanne d’Arc blurs the lines between historical and allegorical figures. At times, artists use her image to reinforce conservative social and political norms; at others, she may break through limitations of those very norms. Has Jeanne d’Arc always carried subversive potential, or when did this possibility come to life? This project addresses why artists—particularly women—turn to Jeanne d’Arc as their muse. I will explore Jeanne d’Arc’s connection to politics, religion, and genderqueerness through a study of female authorship from the medieval period to present. Artists today can learn from these approaches to imagine the future through a radical past.