After Princess Marie d’Orléans / R. Frères, Joan of Arc Praying in Her Armour, 1840, Bronze Sculpture

Joan of Arc praying gilt bronze sculpture reproduction on a small scale from the original model designed by Princess Marie d’Orléans, signed R. Frères, Paris, 1840.

A fine quality gilded and chiselled bronze sculpture of Joan of Arc
Our sculpture is part of the very first series of this model and offers high-quality finishes and very well-defined details compared to later copies that appeared on the market. Furthermore, the bronze statue rests on an original porphyry base and black Belgian marble base with a jutting frame in gilded and chiselled bronze.

Joan of Arc is shown with a short pageboy haircut and wearing full plate armour. Her helmet and gauntlets rest on a stump beside her. She stands with her sword to her chest, and her head bowed, suggesting that she is praying. In this instance, the sword acts as a stand-in for a crucifix and emphasizes her piety (the blade can be extracted from the hand).

A similar sculpture is kept in the Museum of the University of Notre Dame.

The Internal signature R. Frères
The internal signature at the base belongs to the Raingo Frères Foundry, whose business was founded in 1813, and around 1830, it appeared at 8 Rue de Touraine. The four Raingo brothers were first recognized as clockmakers, but in 1841, at 11 Rue de Saintonge, they added art bronzes and furnishings to their repertoire. At first, they made reproductions of antiques and then proceeded to works by contemporary artists, cast in a small number of the model. As of 1860, the Raingo house furnished bronzes to emperor and empress and owned an important store of exhibition pieces at 102 Rue Vieille-du-Temple. They stayed at this address until the 1930s. Among the artists whose work was cast by Raingo Frères are Pradier, Carrier-Belleuse, and Auguste Moreau.