Joan of Arc Statues

Idolized across america

During her peak of popularity, several statues depicting Joan of Arc were erected across several urban centers in America. Most of these were erected from 1890 to 1925 and then abruptly ceased. Today, seven of these statues still remain in public display. Using the map below, you can explore and learn about these statues

Joan of arc in dc

Standing in Meridian Hill Park in northwestern D.C., this bronze equestrian statue of Joan sits in the heart of the American Capitol. Built in 1922 at the height of Franco-American relations in the 20th century, this statue was meant to symbolize the shared ideals and struggles between the United States and France. Joan was a peasant girl who resisted the English during the Hundred Years’ War, a martyr who achieved incredible victories despite all odds. Many in the United States saw reflected in her their own nation’s history of struggles against the British, facing seemingly impossible odds. The adoption of Joan as a symbol of freedom from oppression was popularized by the feminist movement, who saw her in a similar light–as a figure to whom they could relate and who shared their struggles against an institution of oppression. Joan fought against the church, arguing she should be able to do God’s will how she believed she was called to. Early 20th century women fought against the government for the right to have their voices heard. In Joan, they saw a sister in arms, and saw themselves and their movement represented in her.

Portland Statue

Located in Coe Circle Park, this golden colored bronze equestrian statue is the second of two copies of this Statue in the United States. Erected in 1925, it is a direct casted copy of Emmanuel Frémiet's statue now located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The statue was donated by Dr. Henry Waldo Coe, in order to memorialize the American infantrymen of the First World War who fought in France. Joan was often used as a symbol of unity between the United States and France during the war, and Dr. Coe even refered to her as "The Patron Saint of the American Soldiers."

Philadelphia

The Original Casting of Emmanuel Frémiet's statue "Jeanne d'Arc", this equestrian statue features Joan of Arc riding a horse while carrying a banner in her right hand. Now located on Kelly Drive in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, this statue was cast in 1874 and located on the northern end of the Tuileries Gardens in Paris, France. It was purchased in 1890 by the Fairmount Park Art Association and placed infront of the Girard Avenue Bridge. In 1948, it was relocated to its current location. There are two copies of this statue in the United States, located in Portland and New Orleans.

New York

This equestrian statue, located in Riverside Park on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, was unveiled in 1915. Created by Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington, this sculpture was the first full-scale equestrian statue in the United States created by a woman. It was commissioned by the Joan of Arc monument committee in 1909, and its 1915 unveiling included a ceremony attended by the French Ambassador to the United States. After World War One, the statue served as a gathering location for veterans of the war. This statue has one publicly displayed casting copy, still standing in the center of Gloucester, MA.

New Orleans

Unveiled in 1972 as a gift from France to the city of New Orleans, this statue, one of two copies of Emmanuel Frémiet's "Jeanne d'Arc", sits in the French Quarter of the city. This copy was one of the original castings of Frémiet's statue, yet it did not have a public display location until its purchase by French President Charles de Gaulle in 1964. It remained in a warehouse until its unveiling.

Gloucester

A copy of Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington's statue in New York, this equestrian statue stands Infront of the American Legion building in Gloucester. It was presented to the city by the French Government in 1921 to honor the American soldiers who fought in France during the Great War.

Los Angeles

This free-standing statue of Joan of Arc was erected in 1964 in front of St. Vincent's Catholic Hospital. The zone in which it is located is now known as Chinatown.

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