Le Procès de Jeanne d’Arc

This work by Louis-Maurice Boutet de Monvel, painted around late 1909 or early 1910, belongs to his series devoted to Joan of Arc. It depicts Joan’s trial, one of the most famous and tragic episodes of her story, when she appeared before her ecclesiastical and academic judges after her capture. The composition emphasizes the isolation of the young accused woman at the center of the space, facing an assembly of clerics, magistrates, and authorities who embody both judicial procedure and the imbalance of political power at the time. Through its restrained style, rigorous arrangement, and solemn atmosphere, Boutet de Monvel gives the scene an almost symbolic dimension, contributing to the memorial construction of Joan of Arc as a figure of faith, courage, and injustice in the history of France.