Sunday, August 3, 2014

General James Wolfe - Front Rank Mini

Finally managed to pick up a brush today - for a couple of hours. This is a Front Rank figure of General James Wolfe - a hero of the French and Indian War. He was quite a driven individual which belied his slight physical stature and not too robust health. The figure is nicely detailed, but in typical Front Rank fashion a bit more stocky looking than the character it portrays.
The young general is in a simple uniform taken from a famous painting of him. He's wearing a black arm band in remembrance of his recently deceased father, also a famous general.
He was a fighting general who one could argue was out for glory - often at the expense of the men under his command. However, his bravery on the battlefield cannot be understated. He led several daring assaults at the Siege of Louisbourg, where he commanded units of Grenadiers, Highlanders and Rangers. He, of course, soon thereafter met his fate at the Battle of  the Plains of Abraham - famously recreated on canvas by Benjamin West.
As in the painting, he is shown with a musket, as opposed to a sword which was more typical of some ranking officers.
Here is an image of the painting which the uniform colors are based upon. Thanks to Doug Hamm (blogger Dots of Paint) who threw in this figure for free when I bought some of his F&IW Front Rank lead a while back.

17 comments:

  1. I agree, Front Rank figures are stocky, and pricey from the UK or even here in the US, I think it is do with being "different from other manufactures" ?

    nice painting though....cheers Dean,

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    1. Thanks, Phil. That's why I wasn't in any rush to paint the figure up - I've had it for over a year collecting dust. As it was a freebie, I can't complain either. Best, Dea

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  2. Good brush work Dean. I like the tone of the red you have achieved, a good match to the painting shown.

    Cheers, Ross

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  3. Very nice work Dean! I have this figure somewhere but still haven't got round to painting him. This is the inspiration I need!

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    1. Thanks, Rodger. I think you'll find painting this figure quite enjoyable - simple canvas requiring a limited palette - but a nice subject. Best, Dean

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    1. Appreciate you visit and comments, Vincent!

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  5. What a great character piece Dean, lovely work.

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    1. Thanks, Michael. Wolfe has a worthy, if not brief, reputation. Best, Dean

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  6. Nice work! The shade of red you used is very similar to that in the painting. Wolfe will be a great addition to your FIW collection.

    I have a large number of Front Rank from the Napoleonic range but none from the FIW range. This figure is stocky but not untowardly so.

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  7. A nice touch of history to go with the figure. Front Rank are a joy to paint.

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  8. Love the history, and your work to bring him to life. The red really sings!

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  9. Lovely work on General Wolfe there, Dean.

    And what an interesting character he was!

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