WSS or LOA Hussars and General with Cuirass

[abikapi2]

Would be nice to add to my army a couple of regiments of Hussars, present in the Imperial Army since 1688.

In several Painting portraying generals they wore cuirass over or under their cloak, why not to represent one of them?

[paulr]

I'm not sure about painting conventions at this time but certainly during the ECW painting showed armour to reflect status rather than depicting what was actually worn 

[Steve J]

I concur with Paul.

[abikapi2]

Yes, sure 

but could be interesting to represent a general depicted like on a painting 

[mollinary]

I think abikapi has a point here. He is not talking about the official portrait where, as others have said, artisitic convention often had generals depicted in full cuirasssier armour. He is talking about the wearing of a cuirass with normal uniform coat. Prince Eugene is certainly depicted as wearing such a cuirass over his coat in the Laguerre painting of Blenheim and in the Oudenarde tapestry, and there is a good representation of him in one in the early Osprey on Marlborough's Army. Also the second picture he has attached is not a 'portrait' as such, but an attempt to illustrate an event. It isnt contemporary, but it does show how a cuirass could be worn with  the coat.  

[paulr]

It would definitely be interesting to represent a general depicted like on a painting

Good points Mollinary

[Hwiccee]

I would place too much faith in paintings and tapestry depicting specific generals in cuirass. They might be right but artists working miles away and often years after are not good witnesses.

This doesn't mean that there is a good chance some generals would be wearing a cuirass. I am sure many did under the coat but there is a good chance some generals at least would wear them over the coat. As there was usually no regulation uniform they were free to do that. Also it was common for commanders who were in addition colonels of a regiment to wear the uniform of the regiment they were colonel of. So for example in the Imperial army in Bavaria in 1704 both Cusani and Gronsfeld were colonel's of their Austrian cuirassier regiments and also brigade commanders. So there is a reasonable probability that they might be dressed in their units uniform & the cuirass which was part of that.

Some period hussars would also be great.

[clibinarium]

For the most part its an artistic convention to put armour on generals in portraits. This one of Marlborough is a good example



It was probably to make them look more martial, and harkened back to classical depictions of Greeks and Romans in armour. It is the kind of armour that would have been worn perhaps a hundred years previously- at the start of the 18th century only really cuirasses and some helmets were still in use in the ranks, and even that was limited to the cavalry, the kind of leg and arm protection show here had fallen out of use by the 1660-1670s period. The tapestries give a better example of Churchill's practical field wear.



The cuirass was still practical to an extent and some generals wore it.


Both images contain cuirass wearing officers.

I am pretty sure that there are a couple of figures from LoA 39 and 40 are wearing cuirasses, under and over the coat.

I didn't bother with hussars for the LoA as they don't really figure in the big battles, and I thought the SYW Austrian hussars were close enough for those that wanted them.

[Leman]

Some of those pictures reminded me of Madonna 

[Ben Waterhouse]

Some of those pictures reminded me of Madonna 

I will regret this... Why?

[Techno]

I saw an elderly and 'fatter' Freddie Mercury.

I've lost it..Obviously.  

Cheers - A Twit.

[mmcv]

I saw an elderly and 'fatter' Freddie Mercury.

I saw that too... 

[Leman]

I will regret this... Why?

The girly clothes and the metal breast covering - but once you have to explain 

[Techno]

Oh....No.

Good on you, mmcv. 

Cheers - A Numpty.

[abikapi2]

First imperial hussar regiments