Henri Emile Allouard

HENRI EMILE ALLOUARD (Paris, 1844 - 1929).
"Joan of Arc after the victory".
Gilded and patinated bronze.
Marble base.
The sword is independent.
Measurements: 67 x 19 x 24 cm.
The piece represents the standing figure of Joan of Arc, also known as the "Maid of Orleans". The woman appears dressed in full armor or "white harness", a type of armor made from metal pieces hinged together that covered the warrior of the late Middle Ages from head to toe. Joan of Arc, French heroine, soldier and saint, was born in a small village in French Lorraine and at only 17 years of age, in 1429, she would lead the French army in the fight against the English in the context of the Hundred Years' War. The young girl would later be captured by the English, who tried her as a heretic and condemned her to be burned alive in 1431. The figure presents a gesture full of naturalism, leaning on her sword with her head raised, looking up to the sky, perhaps seeking divine inspiration.
Henri Emile Allouard was a multifaceted artist who worked throughout his career in both painting and sculpture. His exclusive dedication to art was late, since in the early stages of his career he had to practice other trades in order to survive. He exhibited in the Paris Salons between 1865 and 1928 and also participated in some universal exhibitions. His sculpture exemplifies the "neo-baroque" style in vogue in France at the end of the 19th century, linked to the Second Empire style. The piece represents the standing figure of Joan of Arc, also known as the "Maid of Orleans", in ecstatic rapture after her military victories. The woman appears dressed in full armor or "white harness", a type of armor made from metal pieces hinged together that covered the warrior of the late Middle Ages from head to toe, although a skirt covers her legs and billows in the wind, increasing the sense of vitality and dynamism that permeates the figure. Joan of Arc, heroine, military and French saint, was born in a small village in the French Lorraine and with only 17 years, in 1429, would lead the French army fighting against the English in the context of the Hundred Years' War. The young girl would later be captured by the English, who tried her as a heretic and condemned her to be burned alive in 1431. The figure stands on what appears to be a building. She has removed her helmet and gauntlets, which can be seen at her feet, and raises her face to the sky, holding her sword in both hands, as an offering to the divinity. The artist has contrasted the rougher, coarser aspect of the sculpture's support with the delicacy of the burnished figure of the saint, from which the light draws beautiful reflections.