Artwork
Her Appeal to the Dauphin (Joan of Arc series: II)
Her Appeal to the Dauphin (Joan of Arc series: II) is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel. It dates from 1906 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right: M.Boutet de Monvel_ 1906_
About this work
Subject & Meaning
By portraying the French heroine in this diplomatic appeal, the image conveys her role as a national symbol seeking both divine and political backing.
The painting shows Joan of Arc pleading before the Dauphin, a scene drawn from the narrative of her mission to secure French royal support. It belongs to the series titled Joan of Arc by Louis-Maurice Boutet de Monvel, painted in 1906 in oil and gold leaf on canvas (75.57 × 170.18 cm). The work was commissioned by William A. Clark, bequeathed to the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1926, and acquired by the National Gallery of Art in 2015.
By portraying the French heroine in this diplomatic appeal, the image conveys her role as a national symbol seeking both divine and political backing.
Technique & Style
Her Appeal to the Dauphin (Joan of Arc series: II) is an oil painting enriched with gold leaf on a canvas support. Executed in 1906, it measures 75.57 cm in height by 170.18 cm in width. The composition belongs to a series of narrative canvases depicting Joan of Arc and reflects the academic style characteristic of the period.
The surface combines broad oil passages with delicate gold-leaf highlights, creating a luminous, decorative effect. The work was commissioned by William A. Clark and later entered the Corcoran Gallery of Art before its 2015 acquisition by the National Gallery of Art.
History & Provenance
Louis-Maurice Boutet de Monvel executed this oil and gold leaf painting in 1906. It was commissioned by the American politician and collector William A. Clark (1839–1925) of New York. Following Clark's death, the painting entered the collection of the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., as part of a bequest finalized in April 1926.
The National Gallery of Art acquired the work from the Corcoran in 2015, where it remains part of the permanent collection. The sources do not provide a specific accession number or further exhibition history.
Context
Louis-Maurice Boutet de Monvel painted Her Appeal to the Dauphin in 1906 as the second work in his Joan of Arc series, in oil and gold leaf on canvas (75.57 × 170.18 cm). The painting was commissioned by the collector William A. Clark, bequeathed to the Corcoran Gallery of Art in April 1926, and entered the National Gallery of Art's collection following its 2015 acquisition. Scholarship situates the piece within Boutet de Monvel's historical subjects, noting its decorative technique and the period's fascination with French heroic narratives.
Overview
This painting, titled Her Appeal to the Dauphin, was created by Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel in 1906. It is the second work in his series dedicated to the life of Joan of Arc. Executed in oil and gold leaf on canvas, the piece is a significant example of the artist's historical narrative painting.
It captures a pivotal moment in the story of the French heroine, rendered with attention to both detail and symbolic richness.
Artist & collection
CERBUL DE AUR
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