Her Appeal to the Dauphin (Joan of Arc series: II) 1906

Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel made this painting, "Her Appeal to the Dauphin," part of the Joan of Arc series, with oil on canvas. Isn't it amazing how flat everything is? The colors, the people, it's all one tapestry of marks! There’s something about the way the paint is applied here, so deliberately, that really tickles me. It’s like each little detail is given the same weight and care. Look at the guy in pink leggings! And the dress on the left has a pattern that almost vibrates. I love the weird faces. Nothing recedes, everything is facing forward, clamoring for attention. It's not exactly primitive but somehow so close to children's art or folk art. This reminds me of someone like Elizabeth Murray, who also played with flatness and pattern in a way that felt both decorative and deeply personal. Art is just one big conversation, right? And with this piece, Boutet de Monvel threw in a line that still resonates today.