Verlinden 200mm Lasalle Bust

[Deleted member 6559]

While waiting for some 1/16 figurers to arrive, I thought I'd have a go at this Verlinden bust. It depicts Antoine-Charles-Louis, Comte de Lasalle, a General de Brigade under Napoleon. A 'flamboyant adventurer', and dashing leader of the light cavalry, his impetuosity finally saw him killed at the Battle of Wagram, 1809.



The bust is not a great likeness, but it's done well enough and should be nice to paint. There are just three parts, including the plinth:



All very sharply modelled and cast. Should be a quickie.....

 

[Jim R]

Hi Peter
That has some challenges Those braid things across his chest and the fur collar. The box art looks rather 'dull'.
Jim

 

[JR]

Quick you say , should I sit down ?

 

[Richard48]

I made it.What a rather striking moustache and Pantaloons.Seem to remember me attempting a Historex plastic one in late 80s.Will you paint some of the toot and tatt i sent you mate or is it bin stuff.
Pip pip onk onk from Makka Pakka and Igglepiggle.

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Jim - I don't know about the uniform, but that hair is causing me problems at the moment.

John - Yes, be seated.

Ricardo - He's quite a dandy isn't he? Not sure about the toot and tat - have you sent more, you naughty person?

 

[adt70hk]

Looking forward to seeing you work your magic on this Peter.

The complexion in the box set is much darker than all of the pictures of him I've found. Is this because the box art has it wrong or because contemporary paintings want to portray a certain racial stereotype?

I'm sorry you won't disappoint us!! No no pressure intended off course!!

ATB

Andrew

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Andrew - Interesting point about the complexion. Prior to the C20th it was considered more genteel to have a pale complexion - only the poor, who worked in the fields, had a tan. For that reason, aristocratic portraits nearly always show a pale skin, there being no way that someone of Lasalle's status would let themselves be portrayed with a campaign tan - it's probably likely, too, that he would have stayed out of the sun as much as possible. That all changed when the rural poor were herded into the factories and never saw the sun and the rich discovered foreign travel - a tan then became a sign of wealth. As for the box art, Verlinden always did prefer dark complexions whatever the subject - just a personal whim of the artist I suppose.

 

[Lee Drennen]

Peter. Seated by JR

 

[Steve Jones]

Good luck with all the gold braiding. He will certainly look the part once done. Good luck sir!

 

[BattleshipBob]

Hes a fine looking cad sorry chap!!

Grabbed a seat, have got a 1/16 tamiya figure, might have a go at some stage. So hoping to watch and learn!

 

[Richard48]

Jim - I don't know about the uniform, but that hair is causing me problems at the moment.

John - Yes, be seated.

Ricardo - He's quite a dandy isn't he? Not sure about the toot and tat - have you sent more, you naughty person?

No mate i havent sent anymore bits n bobs.My supplies have been exhausted figurewise.
Rich.

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Lee - Keep an eye on him for me.

Steve - The braiding is always heart-in-the-mouth stuff.

Bob - Apparently he was a bit of a tearaway - hard to control and always off on impetuous charges. It's what got him killed in the end.

Richard -

The head:



I may darken the hair with a wash or two, as it's looking a bit red at the moment.

 

[adt70hk]

Andrew - Interesting point about the complexion. Prior to the C20th it was considered more genteel to have a pale complexion - only the poor, who worked in the fields, had a tan. For that reason, aristocratic portraits nearly always show a pale skin, there being no way that someone of Lasalle's status would let themselves be portrayed with a campaign tan - it's probably likely, too, that he would have stayed out of the sun as much as possible. That all changed when the rural poor were herded into the factories and never saw the sun and the rich discovered foreign travel - a tan then became a sign of wealth. As for the box art, Verlinden always did prefer dark complexions whatever the subject - just a personal whim of the artist I suppose.

Thanks Peter for the insight. So in summary it came down to social class and snobbery. I'll squirrel that one away!

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Andrew - Doesn't it always?

 

[adt70hk]

Andrew - Doesn't it always?

Very true!

 

[Neil Merryweather]

Lee - Keep an eye on him for me.

Steve - The braiding is always heart-in-the-mouth stuff.

Bob - Apparently he was a bit of a tearaway - hard to control and always off on impetuous charges. It's what got him killed in the end.

Richard -

The head:

View attachment 400553View attachment 400554View attachment 400555

I may darken the hair with a wash or two, as it's looking a bit red at the moment.

Looks the BIZ to me

 

[Deleted member 4539]

Very nice Peter .

 

[Tim Marlow]

Interesting chap Lasalle, a bit like Custer but with brains......his head has come out well Peter.

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Neil - Cheers. He looks nothing like Lasalle, but it's quite a nice sculpt anyway.

Ralph - Thank you.

Tim - Not sure about the brains, but very like Custer. Interestingly he had a presentiment of his death in the days before the battle and wrote several letters to be delivered should he be killed, including one to Napoleon petitioning for the care of his family. He was shot between the eyes by a Hungarian grenadier.

 

[Lee Drennen]

Peter. Nice start as always watching JR closely sir