The Old Ad’s – Part 2

Here posing for the camera are Marshals Davout and Murat recreating the scene of their famous Hinton Hunt advert (see “The old ads are the best”). These figures form part of my French general staff currently awaiting a repaint.

Marshal Davout (FN355 on the left) hero of Austerlitz and Auerstadt. He commanded the rearguard during the retreat from Moscow. A solid, reliable all round good egg. Apparently he had very poor eyesight and, if this model is a good likeness, a touch of baldness.

Prince Murat (FN351 on the right) was a dashing cavalry commander who liked to design his own over the top uniforms. He had a good eye for ground but was not a brilliant strategist – Napoleon once called him a ‘bewildered idiot’ (according to Bruce Quarrie). Seems a bit harsh for such a flamboyant character.

If I had lived in Napoleonic times I would have liked to be a dashing Murat type. Sadly I more closely resemble the balding and bespectacled Davout.