I've been quiet on here and thought that I would take the opportunity of sitting up with an upset baby to rectify the situation.
Sculpting practice continues, if a little slowly. Thanks for all the encouragement and advice given after the last couple of posts. I will try to get time to post a few photos soon.
On the design of the uniform, I have been having some fun that I will share over the coming posts. This mainly consists of period and reproduction items that Ican use as templates. My theory being that de Saxe is describing how he would uniform the troops based on variations of existing outfits.
First up, the shoes and gaiters. From looking at the 'original' artwork (posted earlier) and reading Jean-Louis translation, this is what I have come up with. Look at the gaiters on the central figure in this picture and imagine the top of the gaiter extended further up the thigh. Then take the boots from the left side figure and shorten the to just above the ankle, but still over the bottom of the gaiter. Thi gives something that looks similar to the, sketchy, 'original'. Or do you think I have it wrong?
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2 comments:
Reich Duke Wilhelm von Beerstein had invested Duchess Irma of Stracken into the Ancient and Honorable Order of the Tankard. We have been monitoring your realm with interest and awe.
Best wishes and happy holidays...Bill
Indeed the original illustrations, generally quite unambiguous, are surprisingly unclear when it comes to the ankles. As if the artist was not better informed than we are! On colored plates XIV and XVII gaiters and shoes are of the same grey, appear almost as continuous -while the text makes clear they are different items.
To further complicate things, some illustrations (with the cloak on, e.g.) may well depict the legionary with the 'winter socks' - worn above both shoes and gaiters.
Yet... on plate I 'Habillement du soldat', clearly no low boots are depicted above the gaiters, and on the *left* heel there is *perhaps* a suggestion of a gaiter worn above the shoe?
Well, in the worse case you can always follow the venerable precedent set by the original artist, and paint shoes and gaiters in the same color? Intellectually unsatisfaying, but at least would go no further than the available evidence?
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