Joan of Arc Square, Paris 1914

Curator: This watercolor piece, dated 1914, is entitled "Joan of Arc Square, Paris" and comes to us from Everett Shinn, the American social realist. Editor: It feels desolate. A monochromatic winter scene with just enough muted color to keep it from being bleak. You almost feel the cold seeping out. Curator: Shinn was part of the Ashcan School, and, interestingly, here we see him rendering a European scene, in contrast to his typical depictions of New York. He spent considerable time in Paris around this time. Consider the socio-political currents brewing in Europe then, just on the cusp of the First World War. Editor: Exactly, it’s not just a landscape. There is a foreboding air here. The snow is almost a visual metaphor for the emotional coldness that can permeate a city anticipating conflict. Also note the perspective. It forces you to scan a bit left and right, restless almost. And that monument. Is that Joan herself? Curator: It is, yes. Given Joan’s own battles and iconic resistance to invasion, her looming presence undoubtedly adds layers of meaning, reflecting perhaps a collective, internal struggle felt during that era. Shinn had a noted fascination with theater, so maybe there's an element of staging here, a sort of symbolic theater of war. Editor: That's astute. And watercolours, typically so light, serve this rather darker tone effectively. What appears effortless actually hints at turbulent emotions lying beneath. Curator: Agreed. I think this painting pushes back on notions that landscapes are purely neutral representations of place, when they inevitably participate in societal conditions. What strikes me the most is how Shinn encapsulates a quiet dread just before the storm. Editor: Ultimately, a beautiful example of how artwork can become both document and powerful reflection.