Clonk

That being the sound of my pious painting intentions shattering against reality. I've made virtually zero progress this weekend due to a cascading series of domestic issues, each trivial in nature but sufficient in aggregate to keep me away from the painting table.

Herewith one from the archives to serve as a teasing foretaste of the grand French cavalry review that will eventually...er...eventuate:

Yours, thoroughly browned off

WM

P.S. Blogger has been playing silly buggers for a while now. If I receive a comment I invariably publish it, so if you have not seen your comments appear it's because Blogger has failed to transmit them to me for some reason. If this is the case, please don't hesitate to use the snazzy new message form I've added to the front page, and I will publish your comments on your behalf.

Snooty Nansouty

Étienne-Marie-Antoine Champion, comte de Nansouty and darling of the French heavy cavalry, seems to be a popular chap with Napoleonic military history buffs, if his Wikipedia entry is anything to go by. Even this extraordinary hagiography, however, makes it plain that he wasn't everyone's cup of tea.

The scion of minor Burgundian nobility, Nansouty was an outstanding cavalry commander with a particular knack for training his beloved cuirassiers, a superb eye for ground and an acute sense of timing. Almost uniquely amongst Napoleon's senior commanders, he also appears to have been honest - not for him the amassing of a vast ill-gotten fortune, or so it seems. What made him really insufferable as far as his fellow generals were concerned, however, was his absolute refusal to accept any kind of advice or criticism. In 1809 even the Emperor got a bit of a serve when Nansouty famously responded to criticism after the Battle of Wagram by saying: "It is not Your Majesty, at any rate, who can teach me how to handle cavalry." It was arrogance and withering sarcasm such as this which was probably responsible for his sudden departure from the army during the Campagne de France in 1814, although whether he resigned in a huff or was dismissed is not entirely clear.

One senses he was never really a Bonapartist and that he looked down a bit on his upstart Emperor and his rogues gallery of marshals. He was certainly near the front of the queue when it came to swearing allegiance to Louis XVIII. Whether he would have rallied to Napoleon during the 100 days, however, will never been known because he died in early 1815. The strain of ten years of ceaseless campaigning, during which he had been wounded on numerous occasions, had finally caught up with him.

Nansouty is reproduced here in the form of a really lovely vintage example of a Hinton Hunt FN 361: General Nansouty in Cuirassier General's uniform with cocked hat, painted faithfully according to Marcus Hinton's painting instructions. He looked a bit daunting at first, but in the end came together really nicely I think.

More cuirassiers, or at least a progress report about them, will be posted next week. I'm making good progress on these, having been greatly inspired by a battle I've been fighting via email with David C. David has produced the most extraordinary vintage spectacle, so if you haven't seen it yet hurry over to David's blog at http://miniatureminions.blogspot.com/ and have a butcher's. Things are really starting to heat up....

Yours

WM

Six Eighths Make a Half

 The first half of 8th Cuirassiers is complete (or at least they will be when the varnish dries).

A cavalcade of cuirassiers

Nansouty is just a little too sticky to mount on his horse, so he'll be appearing next week.

So, what do you think? Should I press on with the second squadron, or take a break and have a crack at some gunners?

Yours, as always

WM

Even Heavier Going

I've been very busy with other things again this week, but a bit of progress was made on the cuirassiers.

They don't look like much yet, but I'm pleased to say that most of the particularly tricky bits have been done. It's really only the metallic parts, plus a few other odds and ends, that need to be completed now. To keep my spirits up I'm also trying not to remember that there's another whole squadron to go when these are finished.

My friend Rob G, who challenged me to a horserace, notwithstanding my massive head start, is already way ahead of me. Pictured below are his wonderful takes on General Nansouty and the Brunswick Hussars.

Nansouty Reports for Duty

The Pride of Brunswick, with added Ponsonby

I think they're absolutely gorgeous and I can't wait to see what the second squadron is going to look like, which will be light dragoons by all accounts.

Have a good one,

WM