Merry Christmas 2021

 Salvete Omnes,

so in spite of the scary and demonizing, bah, even terrorizing  rhethoric coming out of the 'free media' via tvs, radio and printed ones, we have survived yet another year. And hope for more - :)

Today is Christmas Eve - if  you are celebrating , then do enjoy your feast with the family, may it be full of joy and happiness.

Merry Christmas to you all, dear friends

Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia - wesolosci i humoru, pieknej Wigilii 

Feliz Navidad...

and some Sandro Botticelli masterpieces for your sore, from watching too much Netlifx and YT, eyes .. 

Valete

Giovanni Fattori - miltiary horse

Salvete Omnes,
 
A couple days ago I came across this Italian painter - maestro Giovanni Fattori - and his interesting military paintings from unified Italy that show plenty of military horse and equestrian equipment.
you can obviously view the gallery at Wiki Commons, so I would like to just point you towards his equestrian and historic art. The war depicted in his paintings was the most heroic in the modern Italian history  - the unification of the Italian states by northern Italian kingdom of Piedmont, also known in its totality as Risorgimiento, into one Italy as Kingdom of Italy.
a couple of the paintings and some detail:


 








 

 

 

 





 
valete!

Il soldato a cavallo - images from 1708 AD

Salvete omnes,
a quick entry on this sunny day(well , to be, still early morning):
this early, 1708 AD, Italian treaty on the cavalry of the period - Il soldato a cavallo, ovvero, Trattato militaire del servizio attuale della cavalleria - and some very interesting engravings contained therein. Written by Carlo Alessandro de Rougeterre (castellano della fortezza di Siena  & sergente maggiore dicavalleria comandante dei carabinieri nello Stato di Siena  ), engraved by Vincent Hubert, publishedin from Siena; the book was dedicated to the grand duke of Tuscany - Gian Gastone de'Medici.



front page:


 
some closeups
 
a kettledrummer and trumpeter




 

camp

fodder gathering

 officers' tents
 
valete

Simone Martini et tents etc

Salvete Omnes,
I would like to bring your attention to several works of the XIV century Sienese painter Simone Martini , disciple of the famous Giotto. In his brushwork we see medeival Italian horses, horse tack and event tents used by the medieval armies.

 
 first, the fresco of Guidoriccio da Fogliano, the Sienese condotiero (mercenary) commander, at the siege of Montemassi at the Palacio Publico in Sienna.
He is riding a tall grey dextrarius that is shod and  caparisoned.

We do not see much of the condottiere's armor but for his neck, arms and legs that are protected by the mail, and the legs are reinforced by some early plate armor. Riding in the military fashion, double reins in left hand, he holds the botton, the symbol of his authority as the commander (and conqueror of Montermassi).


 very interesting portrayal of the pavilon tents of the nobility and commanding officers and also tents for the troops (included grass or perhaps straw covered tents) and it is my guess that the green structures are stables for their horses.

Another work, a panel painting, that is interesting is the  Blessed Agostino Novello Altarpiece
 where in this tempera panel we see a fallen horse

 and the details of the saddle (painted leather skirts) and stirrup  with the stirrup leathers.
 

 

Valete

Giuseppe Rava - painter of the soldier and warrior

Salvete Omnes,
I have been an admirer of maestro Giuseppe Rava art and talent for quite a long time now; I think it started with the Italeri miniature soldier box art back in the 1990s.  Signore Rava, through his prodigious talent with a brush and hard work,  has become one of the most preeminent military illustrators of our XXI century.
 Painter masterfully uses oils, watercolor, inks, gouache and other traditional media.

Today, with Mr. Rava's permission I have a pleasure to share with you some, out of thousands of plates, of maestro Giuseppe's art.
The Egyptian chariots, Alexander, Carthaginians, Romans, Longobards, medieval warriors and heroines, Crusaders, Napoleonic subjects et many others - a feast for the eyes and amazing proficiency with historic subjects and horses in action.

I especially love those in progress examples -
Alexander Nevsky at the battle of lake Peipus

French Cuirassier

Confederate cavalryman

Finally, there is a book, published by Winged Hussar Publishing (WHP) LLC  in the US, aptly titled The Art of Giuseppe Rava - in the US can be had from Amazon.

WHP LLC published another book with Mr Rava art - on the late Roman armies and wars

Valete!

ps
all images @ Giuseppe Rava