International studio (56.1915)

A Pentaptych by J. VP. Fosdick

gallery in which they were placed. Long before
the eye could comprehend the almost endless
wealth of ornamental detail the imagination of the
visitor was impressed with the rhythm of line and
the harmony of colour. Even the most casual
passer-by was forced to remember the magnificent
pattern of greens, purples and blue on a soft and
mellow background of antique gold.
Approaching more closely, one saw the ancient
symbols and heraldic trappings of mediaeval France
turned again to ornamental and pictorial use, skil-
fully adapted to a new and novel expression of
artistic sentiment and religious thought. The
artist relates to us by compositions of form and
colour, in accents of our own time and country,
the touching, the triumphant and tragic story of
Jeanne d’Arc, the Maid of Orleans. The first
panel of this pentaptych devoted to the life of
Jeanne represents The, Heavenly Voices-, the first
inspiration of the peasant girl as she sees the
vision and listens to the voice of Saint Margaret,
the patron saint of girlish innocence and fortitude,
Saint Catharine, the patron saint of crusaders and
the great Saint Michael, the archangel, patron of
the whole Church Militant.
The landscape setting of the scene reminds one
of the early Renaissance pictures in which saints
and angels walk together in flowery meads, and
the golden background gleams and glitters with
the lustre of antique missals. The pale flowers of
the foreground, the pure white lily, the lys of
France, the modest little marguerites and blue
forget-me-nots have an added decorative value
through having been cut in low relief.
The trappings and armour, the heraldic devices
and the halos are all built up in gesso work, to
increase the splendour of the gold and give a subtle
and indescribable charm to every colour. The
second panel of the series shows The Entrance Into
Rheims, and we see Charles VII, King of France,
on horseback, surrounded by his courtiers, sol-
diers and men-at-arms, triumphantly marching
toward the royal coronation. Above the gorgeous
procession waves the ancient oriflamme of France,
on which we see emblazoned the king’s heraldic
device, representing the invincible Saint Michael in
celestial glory.
The third or centre panel in this pentaptych
represents Jeanne d’Arc at the Coronation. Here
we see the faithful and simple maid kneeling
before Charles VII at the coronation ceremony in
the gorgeous old Cathedral at Rheims; kneeling

among cardinals, princes and high prelates of
the church. Here again we see the glories of
mediaeval art translated into modern terms, and
we see the pomp and pageantry of royalty mingled
with ecclesiastical symbols of carefully wrought
design. In the upper right hand are the arms of


THE GLORIFICATION OF JEANNE D’ARC

Orleans and in the upper left are the famous arms
of Rheims, while in the lower corners making pen-
dants are the arms of France and the arms given
by the king to the devoted Jeanne d’Arc as a
badge of knighthood and military glory.
The fourth panel of the series represents the

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