Salve amici mei,
.. as I have been working on a project involving horse wagons and carriages for yet another book on XVII century hussaria, I did a quick sketch in Art Pen and watercolour of a Kozak standard bearer via an Orientalist painting by Józef Brandt's Powrót Zwycięzców (Victors' Return), it appears to be a Sich Kozak - interestingly at this time our Kozaks (Zaporozhian Cossacks) were not noted horsemen, fighting as fine infantry and marines (on their swift boats raiding Ottoman Turks all the way in their capital, Istanbul), with some weak light cavalry. Their strength laid in skilful use of early muskets, especially early versions of flintlock as 'doglock' or 'snaphance,' and in use of the "tabor" (wagon train (Wagenburg)) for defence - following the offensive tactics of Old Polish armies 'tabor' that in turn followed Czech Hussites that had re-invented the tabor and used it successfully during their battles with German knightly lancers during the 1420-30s. After the Bohemian mercenaries exported their tactics all over Europe, it was the Central and Eastern European armies and Ottoman Turkish armies became more or less skilful in its use.
At this moment I am after the construction of XVII century wagons and carriages, and I have been using both few iconographic sources eg
...and our Polish painters of the realist school led by aforementioned maestro Józef Brandt and his contemporary maestro Juliusz Kossak.
Especially in the paintings of 'pan' (sir or master)Brandt these wagons can be see quite clearly. And at the same time we can enjoy these wonderful paintings by pan Brandt, also showing the colourful world of Old Commonwealth.
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