Hi everybody,

this is the first bust I ever painted, and it was a joy.

I started this project after I attended Roman Lappats Beginner Course last November. Coming from that class I was full of inspiration to do some happy painting and tell a story.

So, I really liked this dynamic bust of RP Models. It shows general Joachim Murat during the famous battle of Aboukir, just before he gets shot in the jaw and subsequently hacks of the fingers of his opponent Mustafa Pasha. The model itself is undoubtedly inspired by the painting of Antoine Jean Gros, and that is where i looked for inspiration first as well. Some research into his character showed that Murat was one of the vainest and most dandy characters of his time. Napoleon (being his brother in law) hated him for his vanity, but also admired the absolute beast he was in battle.

I decided to paint him with respect to Gros' painting, but a little less romanticised and more realistic. I wanted him to reflect in his face the intense moment of battle, sunburn on his cheeks from being in the salty desert near Egypt's coast, unshaven, sweaty, and with bloodshot eyes full of adrenaline. In the heat of the moment, just seconds before he gets shot in the jaw.

All painted by hand with (Scale Color Artist) acrylics.

Some challenges for me were the very dark blue uniform, the feathers, all NMM, cast shadow on the face and the change in scale...

Hope you like him!