Jeanne d'Arc wore men's clothing between her departure from Vaucouleurs and her abjuration at Rouen. This raised theological questions then and continues to do so now. The technical reason for her execution was attributed to a biblical clothing law. A posthumous retrial also known as the "nullification trial"opened at the request of Inquisitor-General Jean Brehal and Joan's mother Isabelle Romée. The aim of the trial was to investigate whether the condemnation and its verdict had been handled justly and according to canon law.

A panel of theologians analyzed testimony from 115 witnesses. Brehal drew up his final summary in June, 1456, which describes Joan as a martyr and implicates the late Pierre Cauchon with heresy for having convicted an innocent woman in pursuit of a secular vendetta. The court declared her innocence on 7 July 1456.

This work continues maxines investigations into appearence, the looking and the looked at.

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