Lot #820: Three Vintage "Joan of Arc" France "Basilique du Domremy" Postcards - "Jeanne d’Arc écoutant les voix" - "Le Sacre à Reims" - "Le Bûcher de Rouen"

Three Vintage "Joan of Arc" France "Basilique du Domremy" Postcards, unused. Each card bears a scene from the life of Joan of Arc. Each card notes on the front "Lionel Royer, Pinxit" and "A.Noyer, edit., Paris", and on the back "Luxochrome. Fabrication Francaise. All cards new, never stamped or postally used. (1) First card: "Jeanne d’Arc écoutant les voix" (The Vision): Joan in the garden at Domrémy hearing the voices of St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret. This "Call to Action" represents the spiritual heritage of the Lorraine region. (2) Second card: "Le Sacre à Reims" (The Coronation): Joan standing with her banner at the crowning of King Charles VII in 17 July 1429. This "Political Zenith" documents the restoration of French municipal and national sovereignty. (3) Third Card: "Le Bûcher de Rouen" (The Martyrdom): Joan at the stake in the Old Market Square of Rouen, 30 May 1431. This "Sacrificial Legacy" is a pivotal moment in French historical identity. This trio of "Luxochrome" cards is a masterpiece of French "Hagiographic Heritage," documenting the national iconography of Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc). Published by the renowned Armand Noyer (A.N.) in Paris, these cards utilize a high-end color process to reproduce the celebrated mural cycle from the Basilique du Bois-Chenu in Domrémy, Joan’s birthplace. The caption "Lionel Royer, Pinxit" (Painted by Lionel Royer) identifies the artist. Lionel Royer (1852–1926) was a premier French academic painter who specialized in "Grand History" and religious subjects. These cards depict scenes from the massive murals Royer painted for the Basilica between 1910 and 1913. Armand Noyer was a titan of the Parisian postcard trade, operating out of the Boulevard de Strasbourg. His Luxochrome branding refers to a superior Color Lithography process that used multiple plates to create a rich, "velvety" depth that mimics the oil-on-canvas texture of the original murals. The "Fabrication Française" mark was a point of national pride, distinguishing these cards from the German-printed stock that dominated the pre-WWI market Dimensions: 9 mm x 14 mm Pickup category timeslot {A}