I decided it was high time for a post to diffuse some of the masculinity of soldiers in military garb marching off to do battle. To that end I thought it would be nice to include the oft unseen contribution of the camp followers. Napoleonic armies had very little in the way of formalized support services, relying instead on the women who followed their men or their need for work/food, behind the army hoping to eek out a meager living.
This lovely set of "Washer Women" is available from Franznap miniatures. The casting quality and sculpture of these is as usual from Franznap, extraordinarily good.
The new website is still getting refreshed, but should be available soon here:
https://www.franznapminiatures.com/
I will let these photos speak for themselves other than to say that these were a joy to paint:
Next up will be some serious manliness. The 3rd Dutch Grenadiers of the French Imperial Guard in their high bearskin hats and white uniforms are rapidly approaching completion. I hope they will be ready for their debut within a couple of weeks. Fingers crossed...
Those are very comely camp followers, David!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a fun set and the sculpting is really top notch. Some of the women are indeed sculpted as quite attractive, and others look more matronly. I have a feeling it was intentionally done that way, not as a result of poor casting!
DeleteA very interesting set of figures and very useful as they can used for all nationalities.
ReplyDeleteWell not all nationalities perhaps, there is a French tunic drying on the line. It belongs to either a prisoner who has given his parole, or perhaps one of the washer women's lover, hiding in the farm until he can make his escape...
DeleteWhile I like the lasses, a rather buxom lot it seems, I am more smitten with the cattle and kine though I can't quite decide if the purple headed birds are guinea fowl, turkeys, or some yet unidentified by science species!
ReplyDeleteI just may have to adapt some civilian figures in my 15 mm Old West collection to washer women hanging laundry. I do have a plan for a Chinese laundry but that was focused on the washing not the hanging out to try, so inspiration noted.
I am a bit over-the-top on civilian figures so this entertains me.
Hah! They are certainly not shy women, but such was the fashion. As for the turkeys, they really do have lavender heads, though perhaps a bit over-emphasized here. I have them in the front yard all of the time! The animals are all from a Pegasus set: https://www.amazon.com/Farm-Animals-64pcs-1-72-Pegasus/dp/B001QZOTJ6
DeleteLovely toys David...
ReplyDeleteA very useful set indeed.
All the best. Aly
Thanks Aly. I suspect they will be present in all of my battles, so will probably have more experience in battle than the soldiers!
DeleteI can see why you got the washerwomen sorted before finishing the Dutch Grenadiers - all those white uniforms!
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to tell from photos but the camp followers look a bit on the petite side - I always picture them as something a bit more robust.
It's a shame they weren't hanging out something you could paint as uniform.
Hi Rob. The Franznap do tend to be a hair smaller than Hinton Hunt. I felt like the women in particular scaled well as they tend to be a wee bit smaller than men anyway.
DeleteIf you look closely you can see there is actually a French tunic of a Fusilier-Grenadier on the line. He is the secret lover of one of the washer women and is currently hiding in the barn to escape capture! I have it on good authority though, that he is a kind gentleman, not like most of those pesky French invaders...