FeR Miniatures: Portraits of the Middle Ages - Richard I, the Lionheart Arsuf, 1191

1/16th scale resin bust

6 pieces

Bust requires assembly and painting.

WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER BUYING THIS BUST:

– The detailing level of this Paul Deheleanu’s sculpture is really nice, with lots of textures and details to work on.
– The characterful face of the bust underlines the complexity of this historical character
– It allows a lot of room for interpretation for painting.
– This resin quality allows cleaning and getting the figure ready in almost no time, so time can be spent doing what is really important - painting the bust.

Richard I was relatively short-lived, but accumulated experiences worth of several lives. Being the fourth son of King Henry II and the famous Eleanor of Aquitaine, it seemed unlikely that he would ever sit on the throne, but all his elder brothers died before the passing of their father and he showed an innate talent as a military leader since he was very young.

As soon as he was crowned, King Richard started planning a new crusade in the Holy Land, following the news of the fall of Jerusalem at the hands of the Muslims. This expedition would be known as the Third Crusade and also involved troops from Phillip II of France and Frederick Barbarossa, Holy Roman Emperor.

As he arrived at Holy Land, he took part in the capture of Acre, which resulted in one of the most controversial episodes of the crusades when he ordered the execution of more than 2700 Muslim prisoners. Soon, he would cross paths with the formidable leader whose name will be forever associated with his, Saladin.

The Battle of Arsuf was a decisive victory for the crusader army over a much superior cavalry force led by Saladin in person. As a result, the central Palestinian coast and the port of Jaffa remained in Christian hands. After several other engagements, when it turned out clear that Holy Lands situation wasn’t going to be sorted in a quick way through a decisive military victory, and urgent matters at home pressing for King Richard’s return, both leaders agreed on a compromise that would lead to a three year period of truce.

The life and deeds of Richard the Lionheart after the third crusade would be too long to resume here. He is undoubtedly one of the most romanticized kings of England, even if the real historical character has a lot of controversial aspects.

Our minibust depicts him as he would have looked, moments before the crucial engagement with his rival, Saladin, in the Battle of Arsuf.