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Joan of Arc Equestrian Statue

The equestrian statue of Joan of Arc, also known as the Monument to Joan of Arc, was created by French sculptor Emmanuel Frémiet and inaugurated in 1874 on Place des Pyramides in Paris. It was commissioned by the French government after the country’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian War and symbolizes “reconquest.” The bronze figure was based on Aimée Girod, a young Lorraine peasant from Domrémy, and is mounted on a powerful workhorse. The pedestal was designed by architect Paul Abadie and the surrounding grille by Gabriel Davioud. Cast by Thiébaut Frères, the monument later became historically protected and remained an important public work in Paris.

Joan of Arc equestrian statue on a tall pedestal in front of a building with arched shops and shuttered windows.
The Joan of Arc equestrian statue stands on a tall pedestal in front of a Parisian building.
© Fremiet, Emmanuel (artist) · Public domain
Joan of Arc equestrian statue with a golden figure holding a standard on a stone pedestal in a city street.
The golden Joan of Arc equestrian statue stands on a pedestal amid Paris traffic and surrounding buildings.
© · Public domain
Golden Joan of Arc equestrian statue seen from behind-left, with a flowing banner and bright light beneath the horse.
Joan of Arc Equestrian Statue illuminated against a dark background.
August 2024 © · Public domain
Joan of Arc equestrian statue showing an armored rider holding a banner aloft on a horse above a plain pedestal.
The Joan of Arc equestrian statue depicted in a black-and-white engraved illustration.
January 1889 © Heidbrinck · Public domain
Black and white illustration of Joan of Arc on horseback holding a tall banner staff, with the statue on a pedestal.
Joan of Arc Equestrian Statue shown in a black and white illustration with the mounted figure holding a banner staff.
1902 © Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain

Identification

TitleMonument à Jeanne d'Arc
Alternative titleEquestrian statue of Joan of Arc
Typeequestrian statue
SubjectJoan of Arc
Alternative titleJeanne d'Arc

Creator

ArtistEmmanuel Frémiet
Artist nationalityFrench
Pedestal designerPaul Abadie
Protective grille designerGabriel Davioud

Discovery and provenance

Model's later fateShe later died, ironically, burned alive in the fire of her building, like Joan of Arc in 1431
Model used by the sculptorAimée Girod (1856–1937), a young woman from Domrémy, Joan of Arc's village in Lorraine
Commissioned bythe French government

Historical context

Public commission statusthe only public commission by the state among statues erected in Paris from 1870 to 1914; the others were funded by private initiatives
Historical contextpart of the so-called Golden Age of statuary in Paris
Funding contextother statues from this era were funded by private subscriptions
Symbolism"The reconquest"
Commission contextstate commission following France's defeat in the 1870 Franco-Prussian War

Physical characteristics

Nancy version modificationthe horse was reduced in size
Type of mountpowerful draft horse

Materials

Materialgilded bronze
FoundryThiébaut Frères foundry

Location and ownership

Locationthe 1st arrondissement of Paris
Installed atPlace des Pyramides, Paris, at the opening of Rue des Pyramides
Current displayoutdoor statue
Nancy version locationPlace Lafayette, Nancy
Original locationPlace des Pyramides, Paris, France

History and restoration

Historic protection statuslisted as a historical monument since an unspecified date
Historic monument classification dateMarch 31, 1992
Reception of modificationthis caused a controversy and earned him criticism
Paris monument modificationin 1899, Frémiet replaced the Paris horse with the Nancy model
Inauguration year1874
Nancy version fundingfinanced by the patron Osiris
Contemporary criticismthe horse's ample proportions were criticized, although they were considered realistic; the fragile young woman seemed to disappear atop it
Artist's receptionthe reception was disappointing to the artist
Original settingnear where Joan of Arc was wounded during her failed attempt to take Paris
Installation dateinstalled on an unspecified date in 1874
Other versionFrémiet made another version for the city of Nancy in 1889

Other

Meeting place forthe annual Front National demonstration in honor of Joan of Arc; also Jean-Marie Le Pen and his supporters during a separate gathering organized since the 2010s
Depicted in a painting captionGiuseppe De Nittis, Place des Pyramides (1876), Paris, Musée d'Orsay
Use in opera stagingused as set decoration in La traviata, directed by Simon Stone at the Opéra Garnier in 2019
Depiction in filmtarget of a group of young terrorists in Nocturama (2016), with the statue shown ravaged by fire caused by an explosion in several scenes using digital visual effects
First organized demonstrationUnion nationale appears to have been the first to organize a demonstration in front of the statue, in 1894
Offerings date1907 and 1908
Offerings placed at the statuewhite rose bouquets and lilies
Associated groupsAction française; the small Rose-Blanche League of Achille Joinard
Political/traditional context of ceremonyreviving a tradition from the far-right leagues of the late 19th and early 20th centuries
Annual ceremonythe National Front holds an annual ceremony in her honour at the statue every May Day
Related historical context in captionthe building covered with scaffolding was the Pavillon de Marsan, then being reconstructed