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Forum Index > Historical Arms Talk > your thoughts about armour from a painting Reply to topic
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Luke Johnson





Joined: 04 Nov 2010

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PostPosted: Fri 12 Nov, 2010 9:31 pm    Post subject: your thoughts about armour from a painting         Reply with quote

The painting is by Anthony van Dyck and entitled Portrait of a Commander in Armour, with a Red Scarf.

I wanted to know what armour this was, and if anyone would be kind enough to provided some sample pictures of this armour.

Also, do you have any sample pictures or info of the armor in this:
Henry IV of France by Frans Pourbus the younger
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Michael Curl




Location: Northern California, US
Joined: 06 Jan 2008

Posts: 487

PostPosted: Sat 13 Nov, 2010 9:57 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

The top is 16th century, possibly looks like this?

http://www.guildofstmichael.org/groups/german/lkarmor1.html

or this

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thoog/1132080671...330606163/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thoog/3454098673...330606163/


sorry that neither of those are exact matches

The bottom looks 17th century.

E Pluribus Unum
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Joe Pittman




Location: Memphis, Tenn.
Joined: 21 Aug 2003
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PostPosted: Sat 13 Nov, 2010 1:02 pm    Post subject: The sidearm, Sidesword??         Reply with quote

The sword with jokerhead pommel and floating bear head guard is certainly intetresting. Is the Commander Dutch from Eighty Yrs war?
Long Life
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Lafayette C Curtis




Location: Indonesia
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PostPosted: Wed 17 Nov, 2010 6:39 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

That first painting is really intriguing. The hairstyle of the subject and the name of the painter suggests a provenance from the early- to mid-17th century, but the armour appears to be a "Maximilian" suit from the early 16th. I'd certainly be interested in whatever information that comes up regarding the circumstances that led to this rather unlikely combination!
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Adam D. Kent-Isaac




Location: Indiana
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PostPosted: Wed 17 Nov, 2010 11:29 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Because the title is "Portrait of a Commander in Armour" and not actually the name of a person, I think it may have been just the artistic license of the painter and not a representation of an actual commander of the time period. An official portrait of a real person from that time would have depicted him in the armour that was actually worn at the time.
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James Anderson III




Location: Charles Town, WV
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PostPosted: Thu 18 Nov, 2010 12:20 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

The first does look very Maximilian.
Sable, a chevron between three lions statant Argent
Knight, Order of the Marshal
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William Knight




Location: Mid atlantic, US
Joined: 02 Oct 2005

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PostPosted: Thu 18 Nov, 2010 8:59 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

The exhibit catalogue for 'The Art of Power' exhibit at the National Gallery from last years included a lot of notes about the usage of armour from the armoury by artists long after the armour was no longer in use. You see some of Charles V's/Carlos I's harness in a couple of Baroque paintings, and Carlos II was painted in Phillip II's armour.
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Adam D. Kent-Isaac




Location: Indiana
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PostPosted: Thu 18 Nov, 2010 10:19 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Yes, when it comes to armour in paintings, all kinds of artistic liberties are taken. The famous "Lion Armour" at the Royal Armouries appears in portraits of many different men, including the Earl of Manchester, the Duke of Albemarle (George Monck) and coins of Charles I and Charles II. A gilded Dutch armour made for a young Charles I was worn in portraits by Charles II, James II, and William I (despite the fact that William in the portrait is an adult and the armour was clearly made for a child.) A Greenwich armour originally made for Christian, Duke of Brunswick appears in portraits of many future dukes of Brunswick and the helmet can even be seen sitting on a table in the background of a 1766 painting of Ferdinand of Brunswick-Wolfenbeuttel.


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Lafayette C Curtis




Location: Indonesia
Joined: 29 Nov 2006
Reading list: 7 books

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PostPosted: Sat 20 Nov, 2010 7:48 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Adam D. Kent-Isaac wrote:
Because the title is "Portrait of a Commander in Armour" and not actually the name of a person, I think it may have been just the artistic license of the painter and not a representation of an actual commander of the time period. An official portrait of a real person from that time would have depicted him in the armour that was actually worn at the time.


Exactly. I've seen this practice quite often in depictions of 18th- and late 17th- century commanders in late 16th- or early 17th-century cuirassier armour, but the first painting in the thread is quite interesting because both the painting and the armour are both much earlier than the examples I'm familiar with. I'm wondering if it shows the early days of the trend.
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