Landsknecht

Landsknechts were in fact peasants tied to the land, a middle-age formula of landowners to keep labour force in one place.
Gradualy they were needed to strenghten armies in the fight between protestnats and catholics.
In fact, warlords from the perriod used the animosity between those two cristian rits to help them in winning.
Landsknechts, in their mejority germans from Swabia, Alsacia, Flandres and Rhineland rivaled Swiss mercenaries which they consciously copyed.
The colors of theyr flamboyant equipment has to do with theyr apartenance on different families and guilds.
Also, all those jewelery and decorations where to speak about ones experience on the battlefield and luck at looting.

The armament consisted in this case in a short blunt sabre (or longknife) called "Katzbalger" and considered a simbol for them, coupled with a "Zweihander", (literaly - two handed weapon)meant to disorganise the rows of pikemans.
Of course they used all kind of other weapons, (even firearms), but this is a tipical representation inspired from ps from that perriod.
Landsknechts were also recruted from all parts of Europe, but the name of the formations remained that of the first german mercenaries.

The Pegasso figure is 90mm tall and was worked as a comission for a demanding collector.
I used as usualy acrylic paints for base colors and modulation with oils.
I wanted to represent a worned leder jacket so much of the color variations is that, instead of lights and shadows.
For the ostrige feathers on the leather hat I wanted to use stricking colors which were to maintain the colorfull overall presentation but letting me not to over burden the garments with too many colors.
The rich cutted sleeves of the tunic want to represent brocard, a thick silk embroided with gold thread.
I avoided using the some tonality of red for the different materials, to set them appart but take advantage and balance the whole figure.



More on the subject here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landsknecht
More pictures of this work, here - http://s976.photobucket.com/user/CalinUngureanu/library/Historical%20miniature%20figures?sort=6&page=1