In the spirit of presenting historical truth through art, Don Troiani has personally set uncompromising standards of excellence and authenticity in his field that few others can equal. Models are chosen with the greatest care to achieve the proper look of the men in Colonial and Victorian America. The garb and gear of each figure are painstakingly researched. Appropriate backgrounds are found and studied, sometimes sending the artist hundreds of miles from home to examine battlefields and structures firsthand. Because of the great amount of research that goes into one of his works, it is often years between a painting's conception and the actual moment the brush is put to canvas.
"If an historical painting is not reasonably accurate, then it's worthless both as art and as a historical document," Troiani declares. "If you are going to become involved in this field then there is little excuse for a pattern of inaccuracies."
Indeed, Troiani's lifelong focus on America's military heritage enables him to present that subject with a credibility that surpasses his contemporaries. For a quarter century he has methodically built one of the great private artifact collections of Civil War, 1812 and Revolutionary War, World War II uniforms, equipage, insignia and weapons which he calls on to add the unique dimension of realism he is so well known for. An expert researcher with a personal Military library of over 2,500 volumes, he is assisted in his search for the truth by a select network of advanced collectors, curators and historians whom he corresponds with regularly and who open their own collections to him.
Hollywood has enlisted him as consultant on "Civil War Uniforms and Equipage" for the acclaimed feature film "Cold Mountain" starring Nicole Kidman, Rene Zellweger and Jude Law for which he received screen credit. Also in "Cold Mountain, The Journey from book to film." Troiani has also been military advisor(and made appearances) on the A&E and History Channel's "Civil Journal" and the miniseries "The American Revolution". Televison appearances on "Missing Reward","Incurable Collector", and "Hunt for Amazing Treasures" are among his credits.
Don Troiani S/N Limited Edition Print "Queen’s Rangers Hussars 1781" The Queen’s Rangers were probably the most famous, and certainly the most effective, of all the Loyalist corps that fought for the Crown during the Revolutionary War. Originally raised in 1776 by Robert Rogers of “Roger’s Rangers” fame, his questionable loyalty led to Rogers’s replacement by a string of competent British officers, the third and final commandant being John Graves Simcoe, who succeeded to that post on 15 October 1777 with the Provincial rank of major (promoted to lieutenant colonel-commandant in 1778). This was the first Provincial regiment to take the field in Sir William Howe’s army, bloodying itself at the battles of Brandywine and Germantown and later, under its new commander, at the battle of Monmouth and a myriad of smaller actions around Philadelphia, New York and Charleston. Originally organized as a standard infantry regiment, Simcoe soon began to remodel it into a “legionary” corps of both horse and foot. Simcoe was an expert in partisan warfare and under his tutelage, few excelled the Rangers. In the Virginia campaigns of 1780-81, they covered themselves with further glory, executing brilliant maneuvers in such actions as Point of Fork, Richmond, and Spencer’s Ordinary. Simcoe and most of the regiment went into captivity, after defending the works at Gloucester Point, as part of Cornwallis’s surrender at Yorktown.
In late fall 1777, approximately a dozen of the best riders in the Rangers were issued horses, saddlery and swords to serve as mounted scouts in advance of the regiment. After one was killed by a Hessian jaeger at Chestnut Hill who mistakenly thought him a Continental light dragoon by virtue of his wearing a captured cap, a singular headdress of “high caps, which might at once distinguish them both from the rebel army and their own” was introduced. This cap, made of black cloth (reinforced inside with leather or pasteboard) and decorated with a green “bag” hanging from the crown and the crescent device and plume of the Rangers in front, was modeled on that traditionally worn by Hungarian light horse or hussars. Thus it was that the mounted element became known as “Huzzars” and, having proved their utility, were augmented and formed into a troop of thirty (later expanded to fifty); two additional troops of horse were authorized in 1780.
Simcoe fought to preserve the original green uniforms issued to the Queen’s Rangers at the same time that most Provincial corps were being clothed in red, noting that “green is without comparison the best colour for light troops”. For hot weather campaigning, plain, short, green jackets were adopted, trimmed with small regimental buttons and worn by both horse and foot. Legwear for the Huzzars included leather breeches as well as white cloth breeches or green cloth overalls; all wore out quickly from the heavy service encountered in the Rangers. The primary arms of a Huzzar was “a sword, and such pistols as could be bought or taken from the enemy”. By 1780 the motley assortment of captured and surplus British swords carried earlier had largely been standardized by the issue of heavy, long-bladed swords with slotted iron hilts made by New York cutler James Potter and other contractors —a menacing weapon in the hands of skilled practitioners.
11-3/8" by 14-1/2" Image Size, 15-3/8" by 20" Overall, Limited Edition Print, limited to 250, signed by the artist - $75
______________________________________
Also Available as:
11-3/8" by 14-1/2" Image Size, 15-3/8" by 20" Overall, Limited Edition Artist Proof, limited to 50, signed by the artist - $100
16" by 20" Giclee Print on Canvas, limited to 15, signed by the artist - $600
A giclée print is created with digital printers using tiny ink jets that spray microscopic ink droplets onto a sheet of canvas, creating a lush, vibrant and textured art print that has the look of an original painting. These canvas giclées come stretched, ready for framing and need no glass in front of the image to protect it. The giclée is typically larger in size than the limited edition print and slightly smaller than the original painting. All Limited Edition artwork is subject to availability at time of order. Although seller strives to remain currrent as to inventory, seller reserves the right to cancel a sale if item is no longer available at time of purchase.
Not logged in
Login Status