Knights of Avalon

 

 

Mario Venturi

Sadly I have not seen Mario Venturi's dioramas of either The Battle of Crecy or Battle of Montaperti, but by all accounts they are breathtaking. Judging by the photographs they look amazing.

The Battle of Montaperti was exhibited at the international show of Chicago and won best of show, Mario Venturi was awarded grand master.

His workshop is in Florence, close to the site of the battle which took place on September 4th 1260.Enourmous research when into the figures in a period of history in which documentation is scanty..

The photographs above are both taken from Montaperti  La battagfia nef diorama di Mario Venturi an excellent book, which describes the battle and more importantly the methods used by Mario to construct the figures. It gives great detail with photographs from the bare horse to the making of epoxy putty figures to the finished painted figure. 

This mounted figures have such movement, the cloth on knight and horse is frozen in time.

Mario Venturi gallery
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Details of Peter Greenhill’s and Mario Venturi’s new book " Creating Miniature knights "  HERE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photographs and text is copyright robert hill

2007 all rights reserved