Jeanne d'Arc 1909

Timothy Cole made this intimate engraving of Jeanne d'Arc with dark monochrome inks. You can imagine him, bent over a plate, his hand moving with precision, etching lines that capture the textures of metal and cloth. I wonder what Cole was thinking as he worked on this piece, translating the image of Joan into a series of precise marks. Maybe he was fascinated by her story, her strength, and her conviction. I think it’s so interesting to reflect on how such graphic gestures can communicate a sense of history. I can almost feel the weight of her armor, the solemnity of the moment. When artists make work about other artists, or historical figures, or use other paintings as source material, there's this conversation that starts to happen across time. They take on new life and interpretations and get re-circulated. It's a beautiful reminder that art is never really finished but always evolving, with meanings that shift and change as they’re passed between us.