Frage zur Farbgebung der frz. Kriegsschiffe Ende des 19.Jahrhundert

[Renaud]

I haven't got any explanation for leaving this part of the hull unpainted with the vert de Schweinfurt over, anyway, painters and modelers often mistake as they guess the red extended to the whole hull. In fact, the whole hull was painted with, as the model of the Hoche in Paris gives an example, the Vert de Schweinfurt was painted over. This stuff needed frequent repainting.

Here is a photo of the Bouvines before the white line was painted, you can see two shades of dark grey above waterline, one just above waterline is the Minium red, and the rest of the hull is the "black" it was painted with, above the minium red.

[Renaud]

Here is the Bouvines after 1898, after the white line is painted

[Renaud]

Ater seeing the portside, right on the picture, you can notice that the black painting, reflected the light better than the Minium red below did. i suppose the black was somewhat a bit glossy, compared to the red.

[Renaud]

The painting used for the superstructure vary from one shipyard to another. You have to mix some white with a little yellow, and very few black. On May, 6, 1899, this colour, called "toile mouillée" (wet linen) was brought back to only 25% (but which was the part of the white before?), mixed with 75% white. It resulted a much lighter shade.

[Renaud]

I have just read that the red part above waterline could have been left uncovered to allow watching over it in an easier way. About what I supposed, concerning black vs red, the second one being a matte colour more than the first one, don't forget that B/W photos by that time make the red appear darker as it is really. This, adding to the slope of the hull, which reflects the light differently, may lend to discrepancy.

[Renaud]

Here is the way how Albert Brenet, an appointed painter, saw the Magenta, as it could have been late XIX th century, by 1890, Atlantic fleet (Grey shade on superstructures)

[Renaud]

Merci Renauld,

what was the reason to leave this small red stripe around the waterline? I've seen some modells without this red stripe (Musée de la Marine). Are they painted wrong? I also don't paint this red stripe, my hull is black, I have painted the small white stripe and the underwatership is green. But i think, it's possible in this state of building, to add the red stripe. I hope I can make some photos on weekend to show you my hull. Comments are welcome.

Thank you, greetings from Hamburg
ane

How is your Lavoisier now? On www.papermodelers.com, Goldenbear (Carl Beetz) showed how he realized a card model of his own of the Lavoisier. He is working now on the British battleship Victoria  (others: Hoche 1/400, and Masséna 1/250)