Completed Critique Jan Žižka

Having bought this http://www.planetfigure.com/threads/busts-1-12-150mm.54076/
Hussite's warrior 15. century I decided with just a strip of Milliput it would be a cracking representation of this man.
The bust its self is a lovely little sculpt with a beautifully made and cast white metal sallet that is one of the cleanest casts I've ever seen. We don't have any difintive answer to which he first lost to an arrow wound in his youth so I went with which looked best Later of course he lost the other one

Jan Žižka z Trocnova a Kalicha (German: Johann Ziska or Johann Schischka; English: John Zizka of Trocnov and the Chalice) (c. 1360–1424), Czech general and Hussite leader, follower of Jan Hus, was born in the small village of Trocnov (now part of Borovany) in Bohemia, into a gentried family. He was nicknamed "One-eyed Žižka." As a youth, he was attached to the royal court and held the office of Chamberlain to Queen Sophia.

He fought in the Battle of Grunwald (July 15, 1410), where he defended Radzyń against the Teutonic Order. Later he played a prominent role in the civil wars in Bohemia during the reign of Wenceslas IV. Žižka's tactics were unorthodox and innovative. In addition to training and equipping his army according to their abilities, he used armored wagons armed with small cannons and muskets, presaging the tank of five hundred years later. He was also a master at using geography to full advantage as well as managing the discipline of his troops. Žižka is considered to be among the greatest military leaders and innovators of all time and is one of six commanders in history who never lost a battle (alongside Alexander the Great, Scipio Africanus, Genghis Khan, Alexander Suvorov, and Khalid ibn al-Walid).

As ever all comments appreciated, the face is my first go at oils for anything other than horses

Steve

You didn't hang around with this Steve.
Looks well.
Carl.

Cheers Carl it made a change from all that grey and was a fairly simple job after the Viking I definitely will stick with oils for faces though

Steve

Very nicely done Steve and thanks for the history lesson , an interesting and inventive guy.

Cheers Ken

Yeah he is an amazing hard case for sure he also allegedly wanted to be skinned after death and his skin turned into a war drum for the Hussites but this may be a fable rather than fact. Thanks Ken

Steve

You got it mate!

Cheers

Well done Steve. A really good job for a first shot at oils for faces.
Looks like the 2 day growth has come up very convincingly...........now if you could only crack your photography
Derek

Many thanks Martin Cheers Del much appreciated,I know re the photos I'm even using the IKEA bucket method I think it's the camera

Steve

Steve - by guessing you got it right
It has been established that it was Left eye he lost as a kid aged 12-14 by most likely a sword blow - this information is based on analysis of part of his skull still held in some cathedral, Chaslav, I think.

Later he lost the other eye by a crossbow bolt during a siege- thats pretty much near his death, beeing blind didnt stop him from staying in command for a number of years.

Otherwise - he had a documented moustache - so you may want to add some.
And it wouldnt be complete without an image of Chalice to signify that he is hussite.
That would add some detail to your bust ( and I am not going to start discussion about Taborites vs Chalicers )
Alternatively you could add his coat of arms somewhere- looked like a red crawfish.
Saled helmet isnt likely to be correct for him - but as you said, you didnt aim at serious reconstruction.

nice job Steve..hope you will enjoy the oils and not only for the face in the future ..oils are magic ..don't forget it..

cheers
stefano

Cheers Gaudin I hadn't realised it was a definite re which eye was lost first, as this bust didn't come with a moustache and he lost the eye as a youth it made sense he may not have grown one at this stage the face shows to my eye a fairly young man. as for the chalice or crawfish emblem there isn't really anywhere to put a representation that won't look forced, not sure why you think a sallet helm is not correct, there are a few statues showing him wearing one and it was an immensely popular style of helmet around that time period along with the kettle hat which he is also depicted wearing. Have you a link for the skull reconstruction at all? as my google fu has failed me on it (I love that kind of reconstruction)
Many thanks Stefano who knows what is next for the oils

Steve

Helm said:

There are a few statues showing him wearing one and it was an immensely popular style of helmet around that time period along with the kettle hat which he is also depicted wearing. Have you a link for the skull reconstruction at all?

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I am planning a bust of him soon, so scoured internet for every single image I could find. I havent seen any sallets - please send it to me. Unless we mean different things ( you might be right, I always understood salette as German looking helmet with long tail protecting neck+ visor, stereotype I suppose)

This seems to be the most appropriate type of helmet he would have had ( there are couple of intersting others)
http://www.taborsko.cz/docstore/Image/Turista/historie-pamatky/Osobnosti/zizka.jpg

The only more or less contemporaneous images show him in a robe or like this



A chalice could be painted on his breast plate like this, but then it cant be younger version - as Hussite movement happened at the time when he was well into adulthood


And the only pic of reconstruction I managed to find is this. There is only the fornix of the skull + upper parts of orbit that are preserved so unfortunately face is anyones' guess.

The one in the picture of a re-enactor appears to be to a visor less sallet, they come in many forms with or with out bevoir (chin/throat guard)


Pictures which may show him in a sallet without a decent top view it is admittedly hard to tell exactly
I also found this but frankly not sure what it is he's got on his head looks like a cross between a bascinet and sallet. Cheers for the reconstruction pic not quite like the Richard III version I was hoping for

Looking well so far Steve, With all the suggestions that have been thrown your way you must be spoilt for choice.

Well yes Joel but it's finished mate see where it says completed in the title mate Cheers though mate

Steve

well dont I feel stupid.

You're a navy lad mate we all understand how hard it is for you

Jan Zizka is much overlooked character from history . I like your interpretation of the younger man , as you mentioned he was blinded in one eye at an early age . Still think you should paint a chalice on the breast plate Steve even though you say it's completed it would be a simple thing to do .
chippy

Should walk a commission.
Carl.

Cheers Chippy I'll have a think on it although as has been said he wasn't a young man off hand I think he was in his 50's so it doesn't really go with the bust