Joan of Arc by Gaston Bussiere 1908 Here the patron saint-to-be, draped in gilded forest, the wind in the birches behind her, hears the calling from a heavenly recruiting party, described as an angel, St Catherine and St Michael the Archangel, although the first seems to me more like one of the woodland nymphs of which Bussiere was also fond. The trio offer encouragement, prayer and a sword, respectively. It’s a compelling look in Jeanne’s eyes, between awe at the magnitude of the duty she’s being summoned to, and resoluteness – steely determination that there can be no hesitation in shucking her country waif’s garb in favour of chainmail and iron. This is a picture of a legend awakening.