When I read that the final bonus round was going to be 'Last Stand', I knew that I was going to have a go at the Perrys' Death of Gordon Vignette. I added it to my Christmas list, and was fortunate enough to have it bought for me by My Lovely Wife.
The exact circumstances of Gordon's death aren't clear (except that his severed head was put on display), but a version has been fixed in the general imagination by the George William Joy 1893 painting, a scene copied in the 1966 film 'Khartoum' in which Gordon was famously, and implausibly, played by Charlton Heston.
It's this image that the Perrys have used for their set-piece, albeit with only four figures. From the beginning I know I wanted to catch the sense of Gordon standing alone in the face of an overwhelming tide of humanity. To that end, I chose to mount the staircase right at the back of the base (a drinks coaster from an old training course) in order to give a fair amount of foreground.
My idea was to fill this space with Mahdists, and I accordingly bought a bought of Perrys' plastic Ansars (a good buy - 40 figures for £20.00).
But first I worked on the man himself...
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| And the sun came out! |
Adding the mob worked rather well, I thought, and I was pleased with my first attempt at a vignette (although The Wife pointed out that the mob looks as if it came in a 'crocodile', two-by-two).
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| A Gordon's eye view |
On the other hand...
Knowing that Michael Awdry was also going to submit Gordon's Last Stand, and knowing I was going to be outclassed, I gently teased him about how he was going to make his different (dinosaurs and zombies were mentioned). This is the result...
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| The product of a wonderfully twisted mind. |
I love it! Great piece.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jonathan.
DeleteOutclassed, what utter tosh, you produced a cracking piece here Edwin. Loved the idea of the additional hoard, jolly well done Sir.
ReplyDeleteWell I like it, even if it is lacking in the dinosaur department...
DeleteThank you, Michael.
Nice work Edwin, a great little dio. Gen Gordon used to live in my hometown of Gravesend, and I went to Gordon Secondary school!!
ReplyDeleteI intend to do a biographical post on Gordon soon which you might enjoy.
DeleteIt's a fine vignette to add to any collection, well done Edwin.
ReplyDeleteExcellent work on this vignette !
ReplyDeletea great inspiration for several painters it seems ...
Yes. As you'll see from Ray's post, he was seen as a major British hero.
DeleteNicely done! The extra figures do add a lot to the scene.
ReplyDeleteI believe old 'Chinese' Gordon could probably best be described as an 'interesting' character. Pretty much the same for Charlton Athletic's portrayal of him. Never a very demanding actor . . . .
That's why I meant to do a post on Gordon before this one, but this week hasn't been good for blogging.
DeleteGordon was a nutter even by Victorian standards and if it wasn't for his passing (which in effect allowed us to annex the Sudan) he'd be forgotten.
Taunting Mr Awdry is always likely to result in an unexpected (but certainly never disappointing) result. Kudos to you for being willing to take him on Edwin. Your piece is wonderful in it's own right and packed with character.
ReplyDeleteWell done Edwin. I love the action in your piece, and the sense of hopeless odds against Gordon. True, you don't have dinosaurs or a royal zap gun, but you do have a great piece.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on taking part in the Challenge - I couldn't have done it.
Cheers,
M