Of all the themes that I collect when it comes to art imagery,  paintings that feature Cavaliers are some of my favourite.  There's something about their colourful gear and rakish charm that exudes excitement and flavour.  This kind of fighting man, of course,  is most well known from Alexandre Dumas' most-classic novel THE THREE MUSKETEERS,  but they're all over the map in western European literature and art.  The wide-brimmed hat,  the puffy shirts with the frilled collars,  brightly coloured clothing,  knee boots,  long, curly hair and pointed chin beard and mustaches, with the addition of the deadly rapier,  all are the hallmarks of their flashy image.  I think of today's concept of masculinity and there is much in conflict there with the way these many fellows present themselves. 

Can you imagine a macho guy like Russell Crowe, or the MMA champ Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell walking around in a frilly collar and silk knee-britches?  I really can't.  Yet,  the Cavalier brings this look off with a Byronesque charm edged with deadly seriousness.  Flash and dash to the extreme, and for the second post in a row,  I invoke the name Errol Flynn (read the other post HERE) to illustrate my point.  Style, masculinity and badassness all in one.

I hope you enjoy these!

Swords, swords, and more swords!  In spite of the fact that a sword is essentially a long, skinny meat cleaver designed to cut human beings open and let their life juices drain out,  they have a kind of highly possessive magic,  don't they?  I have several swords;  I have two sword canes with excellent blades,  two new sabres with carbon steel sharpness,  and one antique English sabre that not only looks cool,  will cut one quite severely if mishandled!  I can totally see how the concept of Excalibur came about,  and how the Samurai, by all accounts, considered them a part of their soul.  It's a part of our DNA,  at least for boys;  it has been the bane of every hippie homeschooling  mother that boys with no TV or public school friends will pick up sticks and start doing their best Errol Flynn imitations...without ever seeing him in duelistic action.  I have lots of scars from such childhood battles. 

Art in general has benefited greatly from the depiction of this tool;  it has become an icon in classic painting on the level of the Lute and the chess set,  items that get popped in for colour in hundreds and hundreds of artworks.  It's a case of instant drama;  that thing in the scene that automatically implies that razor's edge between death and life,  and the contrast it adds in a scene of joy or fun is amusing...like, "yep, I'm having fun,  but I could open you like a piñata.  They're also wonderful in Movies!  THE MARK OF ZORRO, with Tyrone Power,  or THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, with the afore-mentioned Flynn?   Magical and exciting fun.

Here are a few of my fave sword images.