De Marbot, Adc To Berndotte

[Bone]

Hi guys,

I need some help. I am painting this Le Cemier figure of De Marbot. However, I don't like the uniform colour of the box art. Furthermore, I am unable to find information on the likelihood of him wearing such an unusual colour. Would anyone be able to suggest a uniform he could or would have worn?

Also, did ADCs wear anthing special to differentiate themselves?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Cheers
Basil

 

[Luis R.]

Hi Basil,
Le Cimier's figure depicts Marbot wearing a lightweight summer non-regulation "uniform". Many light cavalry officers chose to wear those kind of clothing in summer time when off-duty. Marbot wrote in his memoirs how that unusual uniform arouse suspitions from two over-zelous gendarmes while he was travelling through France and he had quite a hard time to proof he was indeed an army officer in an official mission.
At that time, Marbot was an officer in the 25th Chasseurs-à-chéval, so i guess you can also paint this figure in that regiment's uniform: dark green dolman and trousers, garance (dark reddish orange) cuffs and silver lacing and buttons. Many officers in the chasseurs chose to wear trousers in their regiment distinctive colours, that is garance for the 25th, so i think it wouldn't be wrong if you choose to paint Marbot's trousers in that colour.
HTH

 

[Einion]

...garance (dark reddish orange)...

I thought garance was a different colour to this. Nice to know better, thanks!

Einion

 

[Luis R.]

Einion,
the names given to napoleonic uniform colours (jonquille, capucine, aurore, bleu barbeau, etc...), give no clues as how they really looked so i've taken a look at a print of a chasseur uniform with garance facings. It looks orangish scarlet or as i wrote above, reddish orange to me:

 

[Einion]

Yeah, I checked some photos to look at the colour outside of illustrations or painted on miniatures and it was in each case a dark scarlet (various shades but still basically scarlet). I had thought this colour was much more red than that and would have painted it the wrong hue.

Einion

 

[ivopreda]

Marcelin de MArbot

Bone, the uniform showed by Leibovitz in his figure is a summer ( out of regulation) dress called Nanchino for the light tissue used to make it.

De Marbot was an ADC of many different marshal during his career only late he became colonel of chasseur rgt. He made the russian campaign in chasseur uniform but the later kinsky version.


the figure show him in an hussar dolman and culotte... if you want you can paint it as the following pictures of reenactor.
He wore a dark blu dolman and culotte with 4 gold chevrons as chef d'escadron.
the figure for reference is placed on the right in both picture.






you have to clean of the lace designed by Leibovitz and paint the chevrons. Don't worry about the hat, he had both possibility the bicorne or the busby. In walking dress the bicorne is better

i did the same figure same time ago but mounted in full dress






anhoter pics...Marbot portrait as Colonel of line chasseur rgt.




enjoy your paint


ivo preda

 

[vergilius]

Nice figure !!
hope you can manage the painting

 

[megroot]

For me it is a difficult subject.
So at this moment i miss Marcello Grimaldi.

Marc

 

[billyturnip]

So at this moment i miss Marcello Grimaldi.

Marc

I thought exactly the same thing Marc.

 

[Bone]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the guidance. This is a beautiful figure. Bruno Leibovitz did a great job with it. Very fine lacing. Also does not look as stocky as in the picture. Has also got the boyish look just like that of the painting posted by Ivo. Just hope I can do this figure justice.

Thanks again
Basil

 

[Bone]

Roger, Marc,

I never had the chance to communicate with Marcello but I did notice his frequest postings. I was intrigued by his choice of name and wish I had taken the opportunity to write to him when I could.

~ Basil

 

[Luis R.]

Hi Basil,
If you want to know more about Marbot, his memoirs are an absolute must. As an ADC to many marshalls, he witnessed most of the Napoleonic wars events. You can get them on-line in English and for free at:
napoleonic-literature.com
or in their original French at:
Gallica, France National Library

 

[ivopreda]

Has also got the boyish look just like that of the painting posted by Ivo. Just hope I can do this figure justice.

Thanks again
Basil

when Leibovitz sculpted the figure used this portrait as reference and a Bucquoy plates for the uniform.
I know Bruno very well and I know how accurate he is for details and reference.
The colour I proposed you are the easiest version you can find. Gold lace on blu are the most spectacular and easy to paint colour combination.

http://www.figurinitaly.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52

the above link is for the iatlian forum where i'm doing a sbs about a napoleonic general with painting of gold lace etc.


I hope to see your job in progress soon


ivo