In Washington with pencil and brush

I'm closing off the month of November's sketches with some postcards from my trip to Washington. The Joan of Arc exhibit at the Corcoran Gallery dramatically shows the extent to which people project their wishes, needs, fantasies, and sometimes their own inner monsters onto celebrated figures. Joan of Arc has been revered, reviled, revised, resuscitated, repeatedly, over the centuries since her death.  She has been imagined as the androgynous, pious, heroic figure of the 1837 sculpture by Marie d'Orléans, daughter of King Louis-Philippe:

And as the fey and frail Joan of the Alphonse Mucha poster advertising the American actress Maud Adams as Saint Joan in a 1909 play :

The exhibit featured as well a few titillating Joans with scarcely a stitch on, but these, dear readers, I must leave to your imagination.

We had a quick lunch afterwards at the  Corcoran's charming Café des Artistes, where I spied and sketched a juxtaposition of female figures:

We took birthday girl C and two of her friends to Neyla's in Georgetown for dinner, where we shared a table's worth of delicious Lebanese and Mediterranean mezzas! A lovely evening.

Waiting at National airport today, I managed to do sketch number 30 for November, the last of one for each day of the month. Whew, and not a second too soon. December will be the last month of the Twelve Themed Sketchbook year. I will revisit each of the subjects I've pursued so far, making a couple or three sketches on each topic, 31 sketches in all, one for each day of the month. Can't believe the year is almost over.

Comments

[Laura]

Sorry to be so late in thanking you all for your lovely comments! I've been having trouble with my internet connection---so frustrating. Ellen, I went by the studio on rue de la Grande Chaumiere, but didn't have the right supplies for figure drawing and decided to wait for another visit to Paris when I had less on my plate. Thanks so much for telling me about it, though. It's a wonderful resource for artists in Paris. Ellen and Shirley, I plan on devoting lots of time to watercolor study---I want to teach myself more about the physical qualities of watercolor paint, among other things---and reimmerse myself in color work, too. Ellen, it is important to overcome delicacy in watercolor paint application, I think. I struggle with that all the time. France, I'm going to post my 2007 art plan on December 31,so all will be revealed then! Kate, I'd love go sketching with you in DC! Thanks so much, again, all commenters.

[TeriC]

Wow, all those figures are perfectly wonderful. And perfect.

[Paris Parfait]

As usual your sketches are marvelously detailed and beautiful. I can't quite imagine Jeanne d'Arc dressed as Mucha admired her, although I am a big Mucha fan (I have three Mucha art nouveau pieces framed).

[Terri]

Such an interesting trip you had. The 'Joans' are wonderful - such contrasts. I love the different approaches you took with them too.

[zephyr]

i love your postcards...and how clever of you to catch the two females in the cafe!...it is always so fun to come and see where you have been...where you are going.

Laura: Have Sketchbook, Will Travel

[Cin]

you always end each month on a spectacular note and that Joan is it! the cafe sketch too!