The Terror

I now present the gory spectacle of an execution during the French Revolution.

The guillotine and attendant figures are from the Ykreol French Revolution set, whereas most of the onlookers are Imex Pilgrims and Pioneers.

 The pickpockets are out and about, using the public spectacle as a distraction....

A zealot runs forward clutching the tricolor.....

This shouldn't be a place for children to be, but unfortunately it very often was. Many of the onlookers are decked in the red, white & blue of the new Republic.

The guillotine claims another victim. I have heard that the guillotine in Paris had to moved twice as the sheer amount of blood shed  threatened to contaminate the cities supply of drinking water on each occasion.

French naval gunners

Next up we have a motley collection of naval gunners from the French revolutionary period.

The models are a combination of Strelets French artillery in Egypt and Hat British Marines. There are no models available for French naval gunners for this period, so I had to get creative with the paintbrush and the modelling knife. There is a notable size difference between the two sets used, but its not too bad to my eyes.

I really like the striped trousers that were popular during the revolution. They take longer to paint than a flat colour but the end result is worth it.

I'm currently reading the excellent Glorious 1st of June by Sam Willis, which covers in detail the French navy during the turbulent years of the Terror. The French faced huge problems trying to compete with the British Navy, not least due to the dire shortage of trained gunners.

The cannons are also from the Hat British Marines and sailors set.