PHOENIX - Jeanne d'Arc
Technique:
ETCHING / Base Layer+A la Poupee
Picture size
5⁵³/₆₄ x 4⁹/₁₆ in
14.8 х 11.6 cm
Paper size
11¹³/₁₆ x 8¹⁷/₆₄ in
30 x 21 cm
Year
2019
Edition
of 30
Description
As we know from the literature, the story of Joan D'Arc is a lot more complicated then originally thought of - she has not always been perused as a true hero and even after her canonization she has not accepted as a saint by everyone.
However, no one disagrees with the fact that Joan has been an incredibly internally strong young lady, who is famous and much respected for her ability to stand up for her believes, to face difficulties and challenges with head held high and to stay strong regardless of what was coming her way. With all that being said, the idea was to create the image illustrating Joan D'Arc in style of an icon. The overall shape of the image appears in a form of a shield. The center of the image is a portrait of young lady of great internal power and depth, however, that strength is fully of a kind belonging just to women - there is absolutely nothing masculine in her appearance, and the only thing that represents her strength from the outside view is the chain armor. As historically, Joan was leading her army not with a sword (illustrating war), but with a flag instead (symbolizing peace), by her left arm she is holding the flagpole taking the flag high up into the sky as a symbol of God leading the army through Joan. In addition, the flagpole also serves a string connecting the Maid of Orleans herself to powers above. Other side of Joan's flagpole is inserted into the land of Orleans and in this manner she establishes that land as a land under her patronage. Joan is praying in complete peace with her eyes closed plunging inward of her soul though her prayer and all she is surrounded by is part of what she is praying for. Joan is praying asking for strength to handle all what is meant for her to be with dignity, for power to be able to lead her army against the opposition as she is illustrated in the middle of a battle field where she is surrounded by a large crowd of solders supporting her and soldiers fighting against her and Joan also prays for souls of all of the soldiers regardless of which side they are fighting on. Soldiers presented on the image are illustrated having two different meanings. On one side, the whole battlefield can be perused as a fire, where soldiers are part of an elemental force - the army and during the battle they die in thousandths like dying embers. With such perspective in mind, the cloud behind Joan symbolizes the heat and dust coming out during the battle. One the other side, the army of fighting soldiers can be perused as a grass on the battlefield after the battle is over, with weapons and armors of the deceased soldiers laying on it, but the clod behind Joan is soldiers' souls rising up to heaven. However, regardless of the point of view picked from above, the battlefield symbolizes the "battlefield" of our everyday life and soldiers are challenges and difficult circumstances that come our way, which will need to be faced with strength of spirit and iron patience. Candles, as they appear underground, also symbolizing memory of fallen soldiers and prayer for them, with its quiet, peace and appeasement.
PHOENIX - Jeanne d'Arc
Technique:
ETCHING / Base Layer+A la Poupee
Picture size
5⁵³/₆₄ x 4⁹/₁₆ in
14.8 х 11.6 cm
Paper size
11¹³/₁₆ x 8¹⁷/₆₄ in
30 x 21 cm
Year
2019
Edition
of 30
Description
As we know from the literature, the story of Joan D'Arc is a lot more complicated then originally thought of - she has not always been perused as a true hero and even after her canonization she has not accepted as a saint by everyone.
However, no one disagrees with the fact that Joan has been an incredibly internally strong young lady, who is famous and much respected for her ability to stand up for her believes, to face difficulties and challenges with head held high and to stay strong regardless of what was coming her way. With all that being said, the idea was to create the image illustrating Joan D'Arc in style of an icon. The overall shape of the image appears in a form of a shield. The center of the image is a portrait of young lady of great internal power and depth, however, that strength is fully of a kind belonging just to women - there is absolutely nothing masculine in her appearance, and the only thing that represents her strength from the outside view is the chain armor. As historically, Joan was leading her army not with a sword (illustrating war), but with a flag instead (symbolizing peace), by her left arm she is holding the flagpole taking the flag high up into the sky as a symbol of God leading the army through Joan. In addition, the flagpole also serves a string connecting the Maid of Orleans herself to powers above. Other side of Joan's flagpole is inserted into the land of Orleans and in this manner she establishes that land as a land under her patronage. Joan is praying in complete peace with her eyes closed plunging inward of her soul though her prayer and all she is surrounded by is part of what she is praying for. Joan is praying asking for strength to handle all what is meant for her to be with dignity, for power to be able to lead her army against the opposition as she is illustrated in the middle of a battle field where she is surrounded by a large crowd of solders supporting her and soldiers fighting against her and Joan also prays for souls of all of the soldiers regardless of which side they are fighting on. Soldiers presented on the image are illustrated having two different meanings. On one side, the whole battlefield can be perused as a fire, where soldiers are part of an elemental force - the army and during the battle they die in thousandths like dying embers. With such perspective in mind, the cloud behind Joan symbolizes the heat and dust coming out during the battle. One the other side, the army of fighting soldiers can be perused as a grass on the battlefield after the battle is over, with weapons and armors of the deceased soldiers laying on it, but the clod behind Joan is soldiers' souls rising up to heaven. However, regardless of the point of view picked from above, the battlefield symbolizes the "battlefield" of our everyday life and soldiers are challenges and difficult circumstances that come our way, which will need to be faced with strength of spirit and iron patience. Candles, as they appear underground, also symbolizing memory of fallen soldiers and prayer for them, with its quiet, peace and appeasement.
