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Secondary sourcePaintingc. 1484

The Capture of Joan of Arc at Compiègne

Anonymous · c. 1484

A manuscript miniature from around 1484 depicting Joan of Arc's capture by the Burgundians at the siege of Compiègne.

A manuscript image depicting Joan's capture at Compiègne, the event that led to her trial and death.

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Medieval manuscript miniature of a fortified town scene. On the left, a rider in a red tunic with a white cross and dark helmet sits on a brown horse beside pale stone towers. In the center, a figure in a gold helmet and dark armor, with a blue-banded horse, is grasped by the arm by a mounted knight in a green-trimmed cloak on a white horse. Behind them, a crowd of armored soldiers with raised spears and a red banner.
The Capture of Joan of Arc at Compiègne, Vigiles de Charles VII, c. 1484. Illuminated manuscript.

About this source

What it is

This painted miniature, made by an unknown artist around 1484, shows the moment Joan of Arc was captured by the Burgundians during the siege of Compiègne on 14 May 1430. Armored knights and soldiers surround the scene outside a fortified town.

Why it matters

This image marks the beginning of the end of Joan's military career, as her capture led to her trial and execution. Made decades later, it shows how this dramatic turning point was pictured by artists working from the memory and records of her story, not from eyewitness sketches.

Look closer

  • What does the composition - a crowd of armored soldiers surrounding Joan - suggest about how the artist wanted viewers to feel?
  • Why might this capture scene have been considered important enough to illustrate?
  • What is missing from this picture that you might want to know about what really happened?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Joan of Arc on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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