Figure in the corner

Interesting corner figure of what looks like a soldier - not sure when from - could be 1680s?

Colbert présente à Louis XIV les membres de l'Académie Royale des Sciences crée en 1667
En présence de Martin Cureau et des abbés Edme Maroitte, Jean Picard
Testelin Henri (1616-1695)

Army of the Besiegers 1672

Siege of Groningen

Groninger Museum has a detailed version of the portrait of the Bishop of Munster to download this is a detail in some of the background depicting the besieging troops.

They still celebrate the liberation of the place - see Gronings Ontzet wiki

Monmouth at Maastricht?

The Duke of Monmouth - maybe at Maastricht - interesting cavalry figures in the background. Is there a colour version of this? I think I've seen one. Some of the background people are wearing pots.
An eyewitness described Monmouth at the end of Sedgemoor 'removing his headpiece' (he fought with the infantry with a half-pike in his hand) - I've often wondered whether it was a cavalry pot or classical pikeman's helmet but then that probably makes me a bit weird.

strange attire?

A strange figure in the background of the painting by Jan Wyck of the Duke of Monmouth at Maastricht. See the whole image here

Passage du Rhin 1672

This detail from Van der Meulen's depiction of Louis XIV at the crossing of the Rhine (see masthead for full version) shows the French army in its pre uniform days. The black and white engaving depicts the same scene. I can look at these old paintings all day.

French guards at Versailles

With all the fuss about the new replacement gates at Versailles I thought I'd post this background detail of French Guards arrayed in ranks.

French classical helmet of the 1660s and 70s

Details of paintings of the siege of Tournai and Maastricht showing the 'classical' helmet worn by only some French pikemen - Swiss, guards, etc. - I have never seen an example of this helmet other than in contemporary pictures - I wonder if any exist in a museum somewhere?

Figures in the background (1674)

We are pretty lucky in that this period has been well documented pictorially - Louis XIV made sure his victories were immortalised - but how much can be gleaned from these pictures? My idea is to do a series of close-ups of the figures in the background - they are often shadowed in the gloom but they certainly give a flavour of the time. This one is a close-up of part of the siege of Besancon in 1674 by Van der Meulen.

Restoration Foot Guards

Detail from a painting in Roxburgh castle that shows Charles II and his court at Horse Guards parade. Not sure of the date...1670s I think...