Acquisition of a polychrome cast by Jean Larrivé

In 1909, the beatification of Joan of Arc reignited interest in the “Maid of Orléans” in the arts, where she had been gaining prominence since the July Monarchy and, above all, since the^Third Republic in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War. The Lyon-based sculptor Jean Larrivé, winner of the 1904 Prix de Rome, was commissioned to create a marble sculpture for Bourges Cathedral, which was subsequently cast in gilded bronze by the Barbedienne foundry beginning in 1912. The Musée d’Orléans exercised its right of first refusal at Paris Oise Enchères to acquire an exceptional polychrome cast, mounted on a monumental column. While the circumstances surrounding the creation of this luxurious object are unknown, it is likely a one-of-a-kind piece, which will be displayed in the new gallery dedicated to historical movements of the late^19th century and the turn of the^20th century.