Surely it can't be.... Lasalle?
Correct, it isn't. Since it is forever 1812 here, Lasalle has been dead for 3 years or so. Nice find on eBay - one of Jorg Schmaeling's little masterpieces for Art Miniaturen. In an ideal world, this would, in fact, be Lasalle, but I have tweaked him a bit, retouched the paint job to help disguise the handiwork of a pro painter and rebased to the house standard - in short, I've sort of coarsened the figure so he will fit in!
This is now an all-purpose flash French cavalry commander - in the current campaign he will be Montbrun, but he would also work as an over-the-top colonel of Chasseurs a Cheval looking after a brigade. Because the figure is to have a multi-purpose role, I've waived the usual coloured border round the base to denote rank.
This is as near as my collection gets to class... Now - into The Cupboard with him.
That may be the first time I have heard of the coursening strategy but it does make sense and shows who's boss on that wargame field.
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of a vague concept, but isolated figures with their own hearthrug of flock and cat-litter look odd on an otherwise plain table, and figures painted in the mostly-black-with-occasional-blobs-of-colour style - however well done - look like pandas among their more traditionally painted fellows.
DeleteIt's a two edged thing - I want new additions to be up to scratch, but I don't want them to make the rest of the armies look silly either!
French generals of brigade and division wore respectively blue and red rank distinctives so you must make a choice!
ReplyDeleteRegards
Rafa
Not when they are dressed up as hussars or fairy godmothers - you will not find a general's sash on this figure...
DeleteCheers - MSF
Lasalle dead? Why did nobody tell me! Almost looks as nice as the Hinton Hunt one...
ReplyDeleteDead as a dodo, dear boy. I'll keep his memory alive by having other cavalry leaders dress up as him.
DeleteI'd forgotten there was a HH Lasalle - I must check out what he looks like...
Cheers - Tony