WIP Vive L’Empereur Col Burthe 4th Hussars.

[Cannonball]

I’ve recently started this latest release from Gordon Mitchell and Tommi depicting Colonel Burthe of the 4th Hussars during the French cavalry charge at the Battle of Friedland. It’s a great release by Gordon and very imposing. I love these mounted bust pieces and would wholeheartedly support any similar releases in the future. I’ve made a start on the horse and tried to remain faithful to the Detaille painting on which the figure is based. I’ve still got some detailing to do on the harnessing and the gold lace on the saddlecloth is just at the base coat stage at present but I’m happy with how it’s coming along. As for Burthe I’ve finished the red of the pelisse and again base coated the gold braid. My references show the pelisse fur for officers of this regiment as a brown. I’ve started on the shako and tried to get across the difference between the leather of the peak and rear flap to the body of the shako. I don’t know if anyone can advise but there seems to be a border to the lacework on the pelisse but don’t know if this is as described or a part of the moulding process. As Colonel would he have had a lace border to the lacework on the front of the pelisse?
Thanks for looking,

Neal

 

[Viking Bob]

Wow Neal, that's some impressive painting so far. Great looking bust too. Following with a lot of interest.

 

[ometz]

Really great start on this beauty of a figure

 

[khollar]

Great start, Neal! This is one impressive chunk of resin, isn’t it?

Kurt

 

[Cannonball]

Wow Neal, that's some impressive painting so far. Great looking bust too. Following with a lot of interest.

Thanks as always Bob. Really enjoying this.

Neal

 

[Cannonball]

Really great start on this beauty of a figure

Many thanks ometz.

Neal

 

[Cannonball]

Great start, Neal! This is one impressive chunk of resin, isn’t it?

Kurt

Really appreciated Kurt. It’s certainly a hefty piece and hopefully Gordon will consider some more releases along a similar theme. Can see you having some fun with this one.

Neal

 

[khollar]

Really appreciated Kurt. It’s certainly a hefty piece and hopefully Gordon will consider some more releases along a similar theme. Can see you having some fun with this one.

Neal

You are absolutely right, Neal. I have my copy sitting on the desk in front of me right now. I need to finish a couple of other projects before I tackle it those. Seeing your progress with it is definitely enticing though.

I’ll look forward to seeing your continuing work on this one.

Kurt

 

[Cannonball]

You are absolutely right, Neal. I have my copy sitting on the desk in front of me right now. I need to finish a couple of other projects before I tackle it those. Seeing your progress with it is definitely enticing though.

I’ll look forward to seeing your continuing work on this one.

Kurt

Look forward to you getting started on it Kurt.

Neal

 

[Nap]

Hi Neal

Thought we might see this on your bench

A fine start and certainly an imposing piece

Love the way the horse is looking really nice whites

Like all following with interest

Happy benchtime

Nap


Enter in October's FOTM here:

https://www.planetfigure.com/thread...s-fotm-ending-midnight-bst-31-10-2020.277760/

Vote in our VIGNETTES & DIORAMA comp ending 31/10/20 go to here:

https://www.planetfigure.com/thread...-diorama-ending-midnight-bst-31-10-20.250127/

Enter in our VIGNETTES & DIORAMA comp ending 01/03/21 go to here:

https://www.planetfigure.com/thread...ama-comp-ending-midnight-bst-01-03-21.277763/

 

[misfit151]

Great start Neal....keep posting.... Mike

 

[Nap]

Neal

This might help ref pelise

This is Colonel Marbots uniform from Musee d'Armee

Colonel 5th Hussars

Nap

 

[NeilW]

I don’t know if anyone can advise but there seems to be a border to the lacework on the pelisse but don’t know if this is as described or a part of the moulding process. As Colonel would he have had a lace border to the lacework on the front of the pelisse?

If you mean along each side of the chest lace then, yes there is likely to be extra 'fiddly-bits' between the loops (as per Nap's pics). Nap senior officers would add bling wherever that could (Burthe also pimped his horse ).

Better Musee d'Armee refs of Marbot's here: https://ageofrevolution.org/200-object/french-officers-uniform-col-marbots-uniform/
(you can zoom in as below)

Note that both he and Col 5th also had 'extras' on his shoulders.

Useful ref for his shoulder belt:

Re the shako: weren't they a leather body but covered in cloth (black for the 4th)

Neil

 

[Tonton]

This is a lovely figure and you’re making an enviable job of it, Neal. A couple of points – constructive, I hope. The cadenettes were often weighted at their ends with a musket ball (in the belief that they’d provide more resistance to a slash to the throat area), so may not have blown back quite as depicted in the model. From observation, it’s unusual for a moustache – and beards/sideburns – to be the same colour as head-hair. It’s usually darker or containing a large amount of darker hair. Little details, I know, but adding to authenticity.

Jeff

 

[NeilW]

The cadenettes were often weighted at their ends with a musket ball (in the belief that they’d provide more resistance to a slash to the throat area), so may not have blown back quite as depicted in the model.

Good points about variations in hair colouring (and I'm a natural blond )

I also understand that they sometimes inserted wooden rods inside the cadenettes, again to act as protection.

Friedland was 1807 so they're still OK for the period (and shown in the painting), but later there were edicts/regs demanding short cropped hair (no more queues or cadenettes)... not that it was fully enforced or observed (especially by the flamboyant cavalry elite).

Just noticed a nice quote ref hussars on that page with Marbot's uniform:hussars were ‘the eyes, ears and egos of the army’.

 

[Cannonball]

Hi Neal

Thought we might see this on your bench

A fine start and certainly an imposing piece

Love the way the horse is looking really nice whites

Like all following with interest

Happy benchtime

Nap


Enter in October's FOTM here:

https://www.planetfigure.com/thread...s-fotm-ending-midnight-bst-31-10-2020.277760/

Vote in our VIGNETTES & DIORAMA comp ending 31/10/20 go to here:

https://www.planetfigure.com/thread...-diorama-ending-midnight-bst-31-10-20.250127/

Enter in our VIGNETTES & DIORAMA comp ending 01/03/21 go to here:

https://www.planetfigure.com/thread...ama-comp-ending-midnight-bst-01-03-21.277763/

Thanks Nap. Really enjoying tackling this and the reference material is really useful.

Neal

 

[Cannonball]

Great start Neal....keep posting.... Mike

Cheers Mike.

Neal

 

[Cannonball]

If you mean along each side of the chest lace then, yes there is likely to be extra 'fiddly-bits' between the loops (as per Nap's pics). Nap senior officers would add bling wherever that could (Burthe also pimped his horse ).

Better Musee d'Armee refs of Marbot's here: https://ageofrevolution.org/200-object/french-officers-uniform-col-marbots-uniform/
(you can zoom in as below)
View attachment 394729 View attachment 394730

Note that both he and Col 5th also had 'extras' on his shoulders.

Useful ref for his shoulder belt:
View attachment 394731

Re the shako: weren't they a leather body but covered in cloth (black for the 4th)

Neil

Thanks for the reference material Neil, it’s a great help. If you zoom in on one of the pics of the rider you can just see there is a lip running vertically up the length of the braiding. I assumed it might be some braid edging but wasn’t sure.

Neal

 

[Cannonball]

This is a lovely figure and you’re making an enviable job of it, Neal. A couple of points – constructive, I hope. The cadenettes were often weighted at their ends with a musket ball (in the belief that they’d provide more resistance to a slash to the throat area), so may not have blown back quite as depicted in the model. From observation, it’s unusual for a moustache – and beards/sideburns – to be the same colour as head-hair. It’s usually darker or containing a large amount of darker hair. Little details, I know, but adding to authenticity.

Jeff

Hi Jeff. Thanks for the info. The hair/moustache is just in an undercoat colour on these pictures, I need to finish them in the oils so will apply some shading/highlighting to hopefully add a bit of distinction/definition.

Neal

 

[NeilW]

Thanks for the reference material Neil, it’s a great help. If you zoom in on one of the pics of the rider you can just see there is a lip running vertically up the length of the braiding. I assumed it might be some braid edging but wasn’t sure.

Neal

Ah yes... I see what you mean now..... that it's less distinct on the other side suggests it's an error?

You can see the 'fiddly-bits' (a bit indistinct) but also a raised edge... almost like a lancer's plastron.

Don't know what it's supposed to represent, looks more like something to do with the way it was modelled to me?

AFTERTHOUGHT: I reckon that the lacing was modelled flat and then applied to the torso with one side being better smoothed out than the other.