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“Aimee“
During the 1400s names were quite fluid and flexible, and so before her Canonization in 1920, St Joan of Arc’s name could have been Jehanne d’Arc, Jehanne Tarc, Jehanne Romée or/and Jehanne de Vouthon. And Jehanne could have been Jehanette. Joan d’Arc’s date of death (May 30th, 1431) is recorded in time, while for her birthday, is “believed” to be January 6, 1414.
It IS known that Jehanne hailed from Domrémy as did Aimée Girod (1856–1937). Aimée was the model specifically selected by Emmanuel Fremiet (1824–1910) for the famous equestrian statue of St. Joan of Arc. Aimee’s selection was location symbolic.
Fremiet’s work was public commissioned in 1870 during the golden age of statuary in France. Inaugurated 1874, the gilded bronze statue Jeanne d’Arc was placed at the Place des Pyramides. Subsequently, ten years later, the original was modified into 5 copies. Besides the original work, the other 5 versions are located in Nancy France, Philadelphia, Melbourne Australia, Portland Oregon and New Orleans.
The city of Nancy France was responsible for St Joan’s “make over”. It requested a copy of the original, allowing Fremiet to modify the work by reducing the size of the horse and placing a muzzle over the horse head. It is alleged that Fremiet was stung by the criticism of his original particularly the “small peasant girl on a big farm horse”.
The copy that found her way to the present location in New Orleans traveled a rather unusual maze through time. It went from storage in France to storage in New York to storage in New Orleans. It remained in storage despite being gifted to New Orleans by Charles DeGaulle, until liberation in the business district Rivergate Convention Center in 1974. “Joanie on her pony” was relocated again after Harrah’s Casino paid to have her moved to her current location in the Place de France amongst the French Market. She is a hit in New Orleans and every year a Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc Joyeux Anniversaire, Jeanne d’Arc celebrating the unofficial saint of New Orleans on her unofficial birthday.
Portland Joanie shared some time in storage in France with New Orleans Jehanne arriving in 1924. She was a private donation to the city and inaugurated on Memorial day, dedicated in honor of the Doughboys of World War I who considered St. Joan their patron saint. The soldiers allegedly sang “Joan of Arc, They are Calling You” as they prepared for battle.
Melbourne Joanie arrived by the French mail steamer Dumbéa from Marseilles on 28 January 1907 and this was quite controversial considering that she had driven the English out of Orleans. The Maid of Orleans with original bronze patina mysteriously has lost her wreath crown.
Jehanne rose in French ranks during the Hundred Year War. She was subsequently captured, imprisoned for a year and sold to the English. They in course, put her on trial charging her as a heretic by, among other things, acting on visions and wearing the clothes of men. During the trial she identified herself as “Jehanne la Pucelle” (“Joan the Maid”).
Although she is known by many names, accoladed and honored as a patron saint, revered as a strong leading women figure, not much is really known about her physical characteristics. A historical initial depiction of Joan of Arc is dated to mid 15th century but is suspected of being a forgery. A drawing by Clément de Fauquembergue only proves he would be a poor sketch artist. However, Fremiet’s work is widely emulated by other artists so that there exist 37 other equestrian Joanies on ponies in the world during statuomania. Along with the horse theme, there have been countless paintings and renditions of her through the ages and her true likeness is lost in diversity and myth. A google search yields about 12,700,000 results (0.41 seconds).
Aimee Girod, the model of Jeanne, faded into anonymity and abject poverty. In reality, despite her obscurity, it is the likeness and image of Aimee Girod, that has travelled and been seen throughout the world. Through this famous equestrian work of Fremiet, Aimee Girod has been the face of St. Joan of Arc. After her conviction, St Joan was burned and her ashes thrown into the Seine which flows through Paris. Aimee Girod, the model from Domrémy, died in an apartment fire in Paris.