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My latest paint job is 2 command stands that are once more going to represent historical generals and their escort. It is my latest work-in-progress. You'll have a first look at them while I'm busy doing the shading business of the horses. I'm getting quite excited about my new personality generals command stands, and that is the reason why I'll post images before they are all done. Will do that, of course, once the paint job is completed.
One will be John Manners, the marquis of Granby. Well, guess who it is.
He is seen in company of colonel Richard Peirson of the 1st Foot Guards and lieutenant-general Granby's personal orderly.
I took the above oil painting as my template for general Granby. What a giant horse he is mounting. My figure is really a Prussian staff-officer, but he will be just fine. He is posing in such a great "com'on up Guards and at 'em" gesture.
Mr. Peirson will be dressed in the officers dress of the 1st Foot Guards. In May 1760, the man assumed the unloved post as general commissioner of the army. He was responsible to release the funds for "His Royal Britannic Majesty's Army in Germany" from the British Treasure. He did dis job quite well, is seems. Never before Ferdinand‘s war chest had been filled better. Unfortunately, with the arrival of his own battalion during August this year, Peirson found so much more pleasure spending most of the day at the head of his lads exercising all sorts of martial arts that he now couldn‘t find enough time anymore to deal with those wretched Warrants. Again now, Ferdinand‘s finances sank into disorder.
Being effectively the paymaster of it all, I think this man to be a highly important individual worth being represented with this command stand. I wonder who‘s loss Fredinand would regret more – Granby or Mr. Peirson? Well, for the moment all is fine. The first shot directed at Granby‘s command post missed the both but instead hit Granby‘s poor orderly. From my German uniform source Friedrich Schirmer, I learned the man was a Hessian and dressed in hussar style. Schirmer gives some essentials regarding his dress: blue pelisse (missing here with his ‘summers dress’), white dolman (seen), blue breeches, red Hungarian boots, and a fur hat. That‘s all. The remaining details I had to make up myself by employing naked guesswork.
The other will be the French general of cavalry Mr. le duc de Fitz-James.
He will be in company of a trooper of his own regiment (Fitz-James Cavalerie) representing his garde d'honneur, and a trumpeter. To my personal taste, I came to believe trumpets always look smart in company of cavalry generals. This one of the Bercheny hussars will join another cavalry general to replace a trumpeter of the heavy cavalry in royal livery (see below image). The letter will then be commandeered to the staff of Fitz-James. Fitz-James will wear a blackened cuirasse ontop his blue generals coat. That's why I fetched the two men of the Gendarmerie as template for this paint job.
These I have done many years ago, but they remain my single best painted suits of armour. I hope to get at least close to this again. I should note, neither figure comes with engraved or sculptured armour. I simply painted it over their dress. You can do that with flats pretty well.
Finally – 6 weeks later! – they are all done now. I suffered from a serious restraint of touching my brushes.
Here they are now: That's mylord Granby and staff.
And here we have Mr. le duc de Fitz-James & staff.
His suit of armour looks nice. I'm very pleased with the result. The morale of my French cavalerie will be at its best, now that it is commanded by such a smart looking general. I can hear the the troopers cheering and singing:
lalala...
"Buvons un coup, buvons en deux
"A la santé des amoureux
"A la santé du Roi de France,
"Et merde pour le Roi d'Angleterre,
"Qui nous a déclaré la guerre.
