Cette reproduction du siège de Privas montre bien l'équipement des chevaux légers français en 1629. J'ai détaillé le processus qui amena "l'allègement" de l'armure du cavalier français entre 1630 et 1636 dans mon livre "La bataille d'Avein". Et en voici une version plus visuelle !
This reproduction of the "Siege of Privas" shows the armour of french light horse in 1629. I have detailed the process that brought the french horseman to a lighter protection, between 1630 and 1636. Here is a more visual account !
But french horsemen tend to throw away all their armour, behavior forbidden by numerous ordinances ! Below : some french officers at the siege of La Rochelle (1628).
Mais les cavaliers français avaient tendance à se débarrasser de leurs armures, comportement combattu par de nombreuses ordonnances les rappelant à l'ordre !
Ci-dessous : officiers français au siège de la Rochelle, en 1628.
A fast evolution. Very good pics!
RépondreSupprimerVery interesting though I find the 2nd (1634-35) painting by Wilke suspicious in some details. I have never seen such tigh defences in any historical artwork nor on actual pieces of armour for cavalry. They look like the tassets worn by pikemen and the attachment to the breastplate is odd as well. (Because of the diffrent way it need to move you have to attach and articulate thigh defences diffrently for cavalry and infantry)
RépondreSupprimerThank you Daniel. I also never see such a piece of armour in french museum. But i have testimonies of french chevau-legers wearing such equipment in 1635 (one from an officer of the foot regiment of Normandy describing the chevau-legers at the battle of Avins for example).
RépondreSupprimerHowever, what puzzling me in this artwork is the arm protection...
You are thinking about the arm protection in the 1629-1633 picture? The arm protection and indeed the entire suit of armour looks very much like a "Feldküriss" in the Graz Armoury. It has the very same composition with burgonet, rather advanced arm protection and tassets protecting the thighs. However it is from 1580 and examination has show that it is lacking the lower part of the arm defences as well as the complete leg defences once worn with it.
SupprimerHowever similar arm defences can be seen in a set of armour belonging to Christian IV of Denmark. And it was intentional made that way with only the shoulder and upper arm protected. That suit dates to 1642, I'll try to find my photos of it and post links to them.
This is Christian IV's armour in the Tojhusmuseum in Copenhagen
Supprimerhttp://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk50/Dstaberg/Armour%20pics/17th%20Century%20Armour/ChristianIVarmour1.jpg
http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk50/Dstaberg/Armour%20pics/17th%20Century%20Armour/ChristianIVarmour2.jpg
http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk50/Dstaberg/Armour%20pics/17th%20Century%20Armour/ChristianIVarmour3.jpg
There is a painting of him wearing it which confirms that it is complete and not missing any pieces.
Yes i do. Thank you for these details Daniel !
RépondreSupprimerConcerning the "tassettes" i have found one's that looks like the Wilke's 1634-35 ones (these dates are mine, not Wilke's ones...). But on an older armor (perhaps around 1600, perhaps 1600) from the Paris army museum, and not with this attach system...