Saturday 22 July 2017

The Red and the Black

The lure of the Lützowers has proven just too strong to resist. Not only do the look lovely, they are also very simple to paint, so they're just what the doctor ordered for those suffering from Estorff fatigue .

I'm hoping to get the first half battalion finished this weekend. The first job, however, was their flag.

There's actually quite good evidence for this flag, as it happens, which  was presented to the Corps by the Ladies of Berlin in early 1813. It is fairly clear that it was never carried into action, but history according to the Hinton Spieler has decreed otherwise.

If all goes well I should be able to show the whole battalion in a week or so. It'll be back to hussars after that, I promise!

WM



20 comments :

  1. I admire your skill with painted flags sir !

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    1. Thank you, Tony. The geometry was a little simpler in this case!

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  2. Georgious. The flag is stunning.

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  3. Cheers, Mark. This is my seventeenth flag, or thereabouts, so I've been getting a lot of practice in.

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  4. Well done! A VERY attractive figure.

    I am going to have to stop looking at this sort of thing before I get infected.

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    1. I don't know how Marcus Hinton did it, Ross, but he somehow captured the essence of Napoleonic pageantry. His figures look like they stepped right out of a Hamilton Smith print or a Denis Dighton painting. They are irresistable!

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    1. Looking back at my flags I can see that there's a certain bias in favour red and black, Stokes!

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  6. This flag is splendid and very impressive, congrats!

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    1. Cheers, Phil. Gothic script is pleasing to paint, especially as its mostly straight lines!

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  7. Superb lettering on the standard and yet again the limited palette produces a very elegant effect. Nice one.

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    1. Cheers, Rob. A lot of literature on the Lützowers claims that they adopted a black and red uniform because of a lack of alternative dyes. I think their flag proves this is nonsense!

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  8. Really nice job. I look forward to the whole unit.

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    1. Cheers, Matt. I'm hoping for something quite menacing!

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  9. Any subtle significance in the Lutzowers parading under anarcho syndicalist colours?
    Lovely work, most inspiring as always.
    I have just had the Loyal Lusitanian Legion back from my painter. They too may well have not carried colours in action, which gave me pause to think how a battalion operated without them on the field? Whom to rally upon?

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    1. I think there might be, LG. Notice the lack of any reference to the King. They were a revolutionary guard, and no mistake.

      Interesting question, for which I don't have an answer. One gains the impression, however, that colours were of decreasing significance as the wars dragged on. They could even be considered a liability if too many of them were captured.

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  10. A really nice and unusual flag for any unit - looking forward to the completed battalion!

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    1. This is why I like to get the flag done early on, Ian...I just have to know what it'll look like at the head of the regiment after that!

      I'm very pleased to say that the first half battalion is almost done and the second half battalion is on the painting table.

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  11. Their Stunning Standard Sails Stately & Serenely. Crimson & Coal Cohabit the Colors Carried Calmly by the Color-Sergeant.

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    1. It wasn't quite so serene a scene during some of the recent actions, CN, as will be revealed in future posts!

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