State of the Painting Desk

With work taking me out of town for the week, the painting desk lays quiet.
What awaits when I return are three battalions (36 figures) of French infantry for the 1859 Risorgimento project started before my departure.  

Lancashire French in work

The colors on the tunics, gaiters, and pants have been blocked.  Work will progress quickly once webbing is added.  The French uniform from this period is one of my favorite uniforms.  Blue tunics, pantaloon rouge, and white gaiters are a striking combination.  The figures are Lancashire Games and are the first of the Lancashire French to see paint.  Nice figures!

Having so much Risorgimento lead hit The Lead Pile recently from Mirliton and Lancashire, motivation is high to focus on this project.  While enough Sardinians and Austrians are under arms for a good-sized game, French troops are sorely lacking.  Time to field a few French battalions so Napoleon III can take have a shot at glory on the battlefield.  Besides, it has been about two years since the 1859 collection was last out on the table for a game.

Before the 1859 project can take to the field for a contest, preparations for a refight of the Napoleonic Battle of Raab, 1809 are underway.  Raab has been fought on more than one occasion and time to revisit this battle and get my 18mm Napoleonics out onto the gaming table after too long of an absence.

Also nearing completion is the last unit of my Napoleonics painting push that spanned nearly two months.  Needing basing and flocking is one battalion of the 60th Rifle Regiment.

Once the 60th is finished, a group pass in review of the recent Napoleonic additions is in order.   

Refitting of the 2nd Legere

As mentioned in a previous post, I decided to swap out the shako clad elites of the 2nd Legere with suitable voltigeurs in colpack and carabiniers in bearskin. 

Before - Elites in shako

After - Elites in more dashing headgear

The four surplus French lights will be repurposed into another French legere battalion as chasseurs.

In that same post, Gonsalvo requested a rear shot of the recently fielded 4th Legere.
Peter, here it is.

Of course, French opposition should rarely get a glimpse of these Frenchmen from this vantage point.

4th Legere Bn 1 in 28mm

What began as somewhat of a novelty in February of painting only 28mm Napoleonics  continues deep into March.  Certainly, I must finish up this Napoleonic blitz by month end, no?  I think so.

Off the painting desk today is battalion #1 of the 4th French Legere Regiment.  Without the fancy, multi-colored plumes of voltigeurs from many legere regiments, the 4th looks a little ordinary.  To provide a bit more elan, I opted to field the carabiniers in bearskin and the voltigeurs in colpack.  Another good addition to the French cause, n'cest ce pas?  Figures are Front Rank.

A few surplus carabiniers in bearskin and voltigeurs in colpack remain in The Lead Pile.  Two each are being painted and pressed into service to retrofit the already mustered, first battalion of the 2nd Legere Regiment.  The shako wearing flank companies dismissed from the 2nd with then be repurposed as chasseurs in another French legere battalion.

1859 Project Reinforcements from Mirliton

As mentioned in an earlier post, Mirliton Miniatures of Italy, Mirliton make a 15mm range of well-sculpted figures for the 1859 Risorgimento.  Especially well modeled are the cavalry.  Despite reservations regarding the cost of shipping, I submitted a large order since the next order to Italy by the U.S. distributor might be several months.

Cavalry, Cavalry, and More Cavalry

The order submitted was almost entirely cavalry for the 1859 project with 9 wounded Romans to be used as markers for Impetvs.  In all, 32 packs of cavalry (96 figures) arrived along with the Roman wounded.

The financial damage was actually less than anticipated and turned out to be a reasonable bargain.  Including the high cost of shipping, the cavalry worked out to cost less than USD$1.30 each.  Not bad!  That is less than the cost of an AB Miniature cavalry figure excluding delivery.  Of course, the current strength of the USD was working in my favor.

With all of the recent resupplies arriving for the 1859 project, I really must return some attention to that very interesting project.

2nd Vistula Legion in 28mm

Time to add a little more variety to the French forces in the Peninsular War project.  After recently deploying two battalions of Swiss, the first battalion of the 2nd Vistula Legion departs the painting desk.

With their bold brass sunburst on the shako and bright yellow facings, this battalion will be an easy unit to spot in the heat of battle. 

Enough figures remain in the The Lead Pile to field a second battalion of the Poles.

Figures are Front Rank.

2nd KGL Heavy Dragoons in 28mm

Another cavalry unit trots off from the painting desk as the assault against the 28mm Napoleonic inventory continues.

These eight horsemen muster out as two squadrons of the 2nd KGL Heavy Dragoon Regiment.  Figures are Front Rank.

The 2nd HD join the existing KGL contingent consisting of the 1st KGL Heavy Dragoon Regiment, 1st KGL Hussar Regiment, 1st KGL Light Infantry Battalion, one section of Sympher's guns, and the 5th and 7th KGL Infantry Regiments.  Quite a growing force.

On the painting desk are (surprise) more 28mm Napoleonics.  Mustering out soon will be at least two more battalions of infantry.  While I have enjoyed the focus on 28mm Napoleonics, I am ready to switch gears and move on to other periods.  What will follow Napoleonics?

A Stroll Around Florence II

View of Duomo from rooftop

Since I seldom fail to respond to a little encouragement, more photos from my stay in Florence follow. Ray, this is for you!

The destination of today's stroll and photo log will be the Santa Croce Church but, of course, the journey will not be a direct one.  The plan is to cross the Arno River to the south bank seeking out high ground before redirecting myself to the church.

The walk begins in a southerly direction walking past the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi Gallery,

Duomo and Giotto's Tower

Lorenzo the Magnificent in Piazza Signoria

Uffizi Gallery

cross over to the south bank of the Arno River via the Ponte Vecchio,

Ponte Vecchio over the Arno River

Shops lining the Ponte Vecchio

wind my way through the narrow and sometimes bewildering streets and paths,

Narrow streets

up a very long and steep set of stairs

Steep climb!

arriving at the Pizzale Michaelangelo and the magnificent vista views of Florence it offers.

Replica of Michaelangelo's David
 at Pizzale Michaelangelo

Old Florentine city walls 

Old city walls with Boboli Gardens

The Duomo

Arno River with Palazzo Vecchio

Palazzo Vecchio, Duomo, Santa Croce
(left to right)

Descending from the heights, my steps are partially retraced passing through the Old city wall gate and reaching the Arno.

Old city gate

Arno River with Ponte Vecchio in background

Crossing back to the north bank, the Santa Croce Church is but a few blocks away.

Piazza in front of Santa Croce

Santa Croce

Due to his politics, Dante was not allowed entombment within the walls of the church.  Here he stands outside but not looking in.

Dante's Monument

One trick to avoiding often long queues into the church is to slip around the back and enter via the Leather School.

Leather School

Once inside, the interior is built on a grand scale.  No expense spared in here.

Santa Croce interior

Santa Croce interior

Santa Croce interior

The walls of the church are lined with a Who's Who of Florence. 

Galileo

Michaelangelo

Dante (no body here)

Machiavelli

Rossini

A walk well taken.  Now, time to search for gelato!