Charles Dunn (1895-1978), Janice as Joan D’Arc, 1964 |

Egg tempera on wood panel, 15 7/8 x 14 x 1 1/2 in. |

Gift from the Trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art (Gift of the Foundation for Twentieth Century Artists of Washington, DC) |
2018.15.40 

 

In this work, Charles Dunn depicts his daughter Janice in the guise of Joan of Arc, who fought for the French in the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453). The work’s composition and medium also harken back to this time period. In the fifteenth century, artists like Piero del Pollaiuolo often produced egg tempera paintings of women in stark profile. The paintings’ owners thus staked a claim on their sitters, but Dunn likely references these portraits in order to historicize his work and honor his daughter and her independence. Janice, an artist in her own right and an alumna of American University, studied with her father and noted that he did not impose his style on her. Just as Dunn grapples with historical influences in this painting, he encouraged his daughter to engage with precedents that spoke to her own artistic interests.