For the Wednesday Wyeth, I usually just post a quick comment on what the picture says to me, but for this illustration, there's something very specific about it that I like: the man in the red coat is clearly peforming a parry in sixte.
Verisimilitude - "having the appearance of truth" - is something for which many gamers, particularly those with a world-building bent, strive. Verisimilitude is why I spend an hour researching the Imperial campaigns in 1620 as backstory for a fictional non-player character in my campaign. Verisimilitude is why I emailed a professor at Harvard University to get the correct translation from Occitan of a place shown on a 16th century map of Marseille.
Mr Wyeth went to the trouble to get the swordplay right for the picture. It's a masterful illustration without knowing that, of course, but, for me, it's even more impressive seeing the parry in sixte.
Just out of curiosity, what was the Occitan? I have a background in French and Spanish, and some basic Latin, so I can usually translate simple stuff in Italian or Occitan.
ReplyDeleteI have high school French and the Spanish one picks up living in southern California, and I can usually puzzle out a bit of Italian and Occitan as well.
DeleteThe Occitan phrase is in Dr Small's book on the medieval cartography on Marseille - I'll have to hunt for the phrase later. In French it's la pierre que raie - rayed stone.
Ah, found the email. The Occitan is peyra que raja, which Dr Small called "roiling stone."
DeleteWyeth's work is simply beautiful stuff. What great inspiration!
ReplyDeleteYes, it is.
DeleteI know where you're coming from; my interest in the middle ages was initially spurred by D&D. From elementary school I started to delve into real research because I wanted my games to be more accurate... and now I have an MA in medieval studies. How the worm turns, eh?
ReplyDeleteMy gaming never led me to pursue anything professionally, but I've certainly learned an upper division history course's worth of knowledge on the early 17th century.
DeleteMy love of versimilitude is why I constantly struggle not to write and post a detailed description of textile manufacturing and its impact on clothing styles in the Dawnlands.
ReplyDeleteA love of verisimilitude is best coupled with a strong self-editor.
DeleteBlack Vulmea, just started following your blog. This is great series. Where is today's Wyeth from?
ReplyDeleteCatriona, the sequel to Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson.
DeleteAh, thanks. I did not even know there was a sequel!
ReplyDeleteYou'll also find it listed under the title [i]David Balfour[/i].
DeleteI'm glad you're enjoying the pics, and thanks for following the blog. Hopefully I'll keep giving you reasons to come back.