French cavalry commanders

Next up are the French (from the Empire or Napoleonic period). As you can imagine, this is my biggest army, featuring hundreds if not thousands of models, so I'm going to have to break it up in to lots of sections for presentation.


First we have my cavalry commanders.




Marshal Bessieres and an attendant ADC. The ADC is from the Italeri French commanders set, whereas the Marshal is actually a converted Russian General (also Italeri).

Murat in his flamboyant outfit. This is a conversion from the extremely useful Italeri French Hussars set. I have many of these sets, that have been used in various ways down the years. The tiger-skin saddle cover was built by hand.

Another view of Murat, with his Aide in the uniform of Neapolitan Hussars.

Eugene de Beauharnais, Napoleons step-son, with an officer of Italian cavalry behind him. Although not technically a cavalry commander, I like this model and often use it for other personalities. I converted it to look like a bit like a famous painting from the period by a French artist.

General Lasalle on the right, one of the most famous French cavalry commanders of the time.

Another view of Lasalle. The model was converted from another Italeri Hussar, using a Hat Mameluke for the baggy trouser-legs and a bicorne from another model. I think Strelets have made a Lasalle figure but I couldn'y obtain the set and thought it would be fun to make my own.

Heavy cavalry officers (from left to right, Zvezda Cuirassier, Esci Cuirassier with added Generals bicorne, Strelets Carabinier).

Dragoon officers; Zvezda, Strelets, Hat (converted). Although they don't match up well together, they look OK next to units of their own brand type.

Hussars! Always fun to paint due to the colourful uniforms. We have an Esci chap (actually a British hussar from the Crimean war period), then two Italeri guys.

Officers of the Imperial Guard cavalry; Empress Dragon (a Italeri French Dragoon with added cloak and plume), Hat Horse Grenadier, and Chasseur a Cheval de la Garde (yet another converted Italeri Hussar).

Line Chasseur and Lancer officers (with head swops)

Generic Corps cavalry commanders with ADCs (a Dutch lancer ADC on the left and a Westphalian Hussar on the right)

I hope you like these. I'll post another lot of French units next, probably makes sense to post the cavalry itself.