Polish cavalry regiments - 1919-20 war

Salvete omnes,

since we are living during the 100th anniversary year of the great Polish-Bolshevik Russia war, then over the next months I am going to spend a number of posts on these Polish cavalry regiments.

I do not really have much on the Bolshevik Russia side, apart from some Russian very general material, so my entries will have to be generalized and rather more or less prejudiced in favor of my Polish horsemen.
 
The war of 1919-20 abounded in cavalry actions on both sides - note, there have been also Belarusian, Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Cossack, White Russian cavalry regiments and smaller units.
The Polish et al., troops on war footing  were very colorful when comes to uniforms, horses, equipment and arms.

For example the Polish government had been buying American equipment left in Western Europe, but any equipment that they could get their hands on was purchased from near and farther removed allies and former allies.

One thing is certain that the Polish cavalry regiments of this war used lances and used them often in countless charges and raids they did during the period.
Saddles and other horse tack was as varied as the uniforms, from German, Russian, Austro-Hungarian to American (often called Mexican in Poland) types.
Welcome to the cavalry war after the Great War.
...


ad rem,
I will start with a number of art plates painted by by friend Krzysztof Komaniecki.
 Krzysztof, living in Szczecin the WestPomeranian capital since 1945, has been painting, reconstructing and reenacting Polish cavalry (12th Podolian Uhlan cavalry regiment)  from the period of 1914-139.

Krzysztof recently created a comics book retelling one of the many cavalry charges of the period - Rokitna-
They actually published first a black and white version and later on there color version of the comics has been released.

You can easily inquire about Krzysztof's art, perhaps come to acquire his original plate or a printed copy of one, and/or  exchange ideas about the Polish cavalry of the period etc via his Facebook page: Komaniecki Art.

 
Valete

ps
at the present Belarus has been  in upheaval, that is why in the sign of solidarity I am starting my posts with the badge worn by the soldiers of the 1st Lithuanian-Belarusian Division of the Polish army.  

Elizabeth Southerden Thompson, Lady Butler's military equestrian brushworks

Salvete Omnes,

a very short entry - a phenomenal British military painter  who was a woman, You can decide whether this was and still is the most unusual since painting war had not been a typical feminine subject in art history.

Elizabeth Southerden Thompson, Lady Butler or in short Elizabeth Thompson was a very prolific painter and a lady of high social standing, and a published writer.  I find it curious that she became Roman Catholic while studying in Italy in 1869AD.


 
 Just collected a few close ups of Lady Butler's horses from her painting.


 

 

 



Eventually Lady Butler settled in Ireland, went through the tragedy of the Great War  and then the Irish civil war  and died in Ireland. She  had a long and fruitful live. We can still appreciate her art and her vision of the battlefield, and of course her horses.
Valete

Komaniecki Art - sale

Salvete Omnes,

my friend from Poland Krzysztof Komaniecki aka Komaniecki Art put some of his creations on sale - you can inquire within directly.
 

 

 


 

 

 


Nota bene Krzysztof is a skilled model soldier sculptor.


 

 

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