07 March 2015

My SYW Personality Commanding Generals No III

My current paint-job is yet another French general command stand. I noticed that I am missing a real "maréchal de France" as commander-in-chief. Some years ago, I purchased some very pretty flats from the French foundry Segom (see: www.figurines-soldats.com ). 

 My choice for my "maréchal de Broglie" will be Segom's figure of Louis XV which they did after the famous painting by Horace Vernet "The Triumph of Fontenoy" (1745) I believe it is titled, and on display at Versailles. 
I'm sure the dusty remains in Mr. le duc de Broglie's tomb will vitalise for a second or two in a most wonderous way if his spirit in the hall of Valhalla will ever receive notice of this gracious reverence of mine. The Segom Fontenoy Louis XV figure just makes the best chef-of-it-all for my French army. I'm not aware sa majesté ever took the effort traveling all the way to Germany and visit his fine Army of the Main river or the Weser. So, I have no need for the king himself to command my French troops. 
Above see a portrait of Mr. le Duc de Broglie in the dress of a French Maréchal. Not sure if it is 7YW period. I doubt it. It is more likely post 7YW. But it shouldn't be so off the earlier dress. It will serve as my guide for the lacing. My maréchal's entourage will be a stylish Hussar officer from the Legion Royale with exotic pelisse and shabraque – it will be of leopard or jaguar fur – and an officer of the Gendarmes de la Reine (red dress). All are by Segom. The fourth officer on the beige coloured horse is by Kieler Zinnfiguren. I haven't decided yet what rank he will be. Possibly a maréchal-de-camp. Behind these four command figures, you see a set of figures that will become the foot elements of the Volontaires de Clermont. All are still WIP. I will post more images once they are all done.


 Here they are now completed 21 March. The red dressed officer of the Gendarmes de la Reine, I did very closely after Segom's template, an illustration by Lucien Rousselot.

 And below see the for gentlemen based as my new commander-in-chief ready for play.

I love the looks of this junior hussar officer with his most stylish big-cat-skin shabraque. Obviously, the very restricted VIP area of French high command cannot be accessed without looking very stylish. After all, they are all gens de Paris.

Below see also my meanwhile completed Volontaires de Clermont-prince. 


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8 comments:

  1. Unknown7 March 2015 at 08:54

    What great figures for a command group; it will look fantastic when done. The Volontaires de Clermont will be very colourful. I look forward to future posts.
    Best wishes,
    Simon

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  2. My 7YW7 March 2015 at 14:26

    Thank you Simon.
    I can't wait to see them all done as well.

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  3. David Morfitt22 March 2015 at 10:03

    Splendid work! :-) The French certainly made up in style what they lacked in - shall we say - performance. ;-)

    Cheers,

    David.

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  4. Herkybird22 March 2015 at 12:54

    Formidable! - M Broglie is, for me, the bright spot in a dreadful period for L'armee Royeaux!

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  5. Anonymous25 March 2015 at 15:41

    Excellent painting. Being a ...6mm painter myself (sorry, give a look here http://vendheaume.fighters.pagesperso-orange.fr/), and after looking at your super pages and pics, I suddenly felt the need to paint something else, with other paints and techniques.
    Questions about brands of figures for the French 18C armies ; which brand would you recommend to use along with Segom figures above? Which one makes the 1745 light infantry (Arquebusiers de Grassin in mirliton caps for example) ?
    Paint : would you recommend exactly the ones shown on one pic here on your blog ? Or is this not a good question ?
    Bravo en tout cas ! Et merci pour l'inspiration.

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    Replies
    1. My 7YW1 April 2015 at 13:17

      Sorry for replying with this delay.
      Thanks for your compliments. I'm afraid I don't know any French foundries that do 30 mm flats apart from Segom. That isn't to say there aren't any. I simply don't know them. Regarding your question for the sort of paint best employed I have done an article laying out my way to paint 30 mm flats. I recommend this method using oils as it faciliates the shading work thanks to the oils retarded drying. If you attempt to arrive at similar results with acrylic paint you need to be skilled and very fast, I would imagine. Its no recommendation for beginners in any case, I should say.
      Cheers,
      Christian

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  6. Unknown30 March 2015 at 10:55

    Gosh Christian I see you've finished it - a fantastic looking command group. A great tribute to the French officer who caused Ferdinand such problems.
    Best wishes,
    Simon

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  7. My 7YW2 April 2015 at 13:54

    Thanks, Simon.
    Though, I'm not so sure about the qualities of Broglie.
    The victory of bergen wasn't his work. All had been arranged for by the fine staff work of Soubise's officers.
    In 1760, after he managed to force the Allies out of Hesse he ran out of ideas and the campaign had no further progress. Contades was much better here. He ruined his reputation with his single failure on the day of Minden. I have no idea what happened to him and the army that day. A German observer noted he had never seen a French army fighting with such casualness, missing any sort of determination or energy that day.

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