Louis-Ernest Barrias Joan of Arc Bronze, ca. 1890
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GUEST:
My father purchased it, and before he passed away, he handed it to me. He purchased it in Athens, Greece, in 1978. He paid $1,170, I think.
APPRAISER:
He was in the military?
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
It's a French sculpture of Joan of Arc. She was the Maid of Orléans, or Orleans.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
Of course, New Orleans is named after the Duke of Orléans. She started seeing visions when she was 13 years old, and these visions told her that she should lead the French army against the English. And she was extraordinarily successful doing that. She led the French to victory in, in 1429. At this time, she was 17 years old. She received sainthood.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
Not until the 20th century. But she is the patron saint of, uh, military people and soldiers. This piece was originally conceived around
1890. It is a monument in Normandy to soldiers. And there's a version of this. It's inscribed, her words: "You can chain me, but you cannot chain the destiny of France." She was burned at the stake in 1431, at the age of 19 years old. She was tried and convicted of heresy. She was also convicted of blasphemy because she wore men's clothing. It's signed E. Barrias-- his name was Louis-Ernest Barrias. He was a very, very prominent sculptor in, in the 19th century. Unfortunately, today, nobody knows who he is. His most famous work is on the façade of the Paris Opera. The monument was around 1890, so this piece was probably in the 1890s, beautifully cast. This is sort of the high point of French bronze work. In terms of value, French 19th-century sculpture is not particularly popular these days. Nonetheless, it would have an auction value in the, uh, $6,000 to $8,000 range.
GUEST:
Oh, that's nice.
APPRAISER:
It could be insured for $10,000, $12,000.
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