Gendarme d'Elite.

I was trawling E Bay when I came upon this unit of Gendarme D'Elite advertised as painted by the great man himself. I haven't contacted the seller, but they bear all the hallmarks of early Peter Gilder figures. Soldered pins for swords, early wiped flanks on the horses and nicely lined uniforms. 

  The figures? I believe are Mini Figs from their S range. Personally I love them and am envious of the person who will eventually own them. The current price £98 and counting. Not bad for a figure that must be about 50+ years old and testament to the artistry of Gilder.

 

Tony Runkee, painter extraordinaire.

 

I received the very sad news of another wargaming legend who has entered the wargaming Valhalla.  Tony Runkee, painter extraordinaire died suddenly on 1st July 2023.

 I was lucky enough to meet and interview Tony several years ago for this blog and from their I was always bumping into him at various shows. I was lucky enough to obtain some of the units he had painted for Gilder, and he also painted several commissions for me. All were top quality.

 Tony had been a close friend of Peter Gilder and needless to say was recruited by him to paint his figures. Tony also helped Peter make his famous terrain boards, and all the scenery for the Wargames Holiday Centre. Tony was a no nonsense craftsman, who was a tremendous painter of wargames figures. He did many commissions, his most famous being the wonderful work he did for the late Ian Smith, his speciality being the Confederates, where he would agonise over the colour of butternut before miraculously creating the look he felt was right. He also entered many Military Modelling painting competitions where his skills were invariably rewarded. Tony was a great bloke, funny, always helpful, and always ready to advise on anything to do with model painting. 

   The service is to be held on the 1st August at Lelley Fields Crematorium Oak Hall.

When is a Gilder painted figure, exactly that?

 Its been a while, well a year actually, but then updating my Gilder site was always intended as whenever I had something to say regarding the great man.

 These French Empress dragoons were advertised for sale on E Bay a couple of weeks ago as being from Peter Gilder's early French army. I was tempted even though I have no Napoleonic armies anymore. Luckily I didn't bid on them and the went for over £100. The figures are Hinton Hunt's and I know that Gilder when he was creating his early Napoleonic armies used a lot of Hunt figures, so perhaps they were painted and owned by the great man. I would like to think so

The issue is unless there is absolute proof of provenance it is difficult to attribute any of the Gilder collection to the actual great man simply because he used so many up and coming figure painters. Having talked to several from the Gilder stable its obvious that he was able to sweet talk many talented chaps to 'do' a unit or three for him in exchange for new castings. And why wouldn't one do so.

I know Gilder in his haste to get its on the table would avoid painting his horses stomachs if he could get away with it. While plodders like me were meticulously painting and painting again every part of our figures, Gilder had the foresight and confidence to paint only where you can see. Be warned though, Gilder would also completely paint some of his cavalry regiments as the whim took him.

When Im looking for his work, I usually start by checking for replaced sabers and bayonets, then I check how the horses have been painted, are they wiped off oils etc. Hardly a definitive set of checks given how many painters who worked for him would assiduously copy his brilliant style. i wish I could a definitive answer to how to spot Gilder's work, but it is very, very difficult if not impossible.

 I know that Ian Hinds of Hind's secondhand figures is currently selling very early figures painted by Gilder, knowing Ian Im certain he will have some sort of provable providence. Anyway, great to add a liitle more to the blog.