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I can get tired of complaining about the lack of anatomical correctness in this hobby. So I will say this for the Essex line: whatever their reason for sculpting war-smurfs they are, at least, consistent. While I am not a great fan of the Essex line, I do respect the fact that they clearly have an aesthetic that guides the sculpting of all of their figures (at least the Napoleonics). So leaving aside the seriously undersized legs and oversized arms, what do we have here?
We have yet another solid product from this company. I have heard Essex described as extremely detailed, but I disagree. Rather, I think they pay attention to the telling detail, the well known and distinguishing detail of uniform or equipment. More mundane detail is omitted in order to keep the figure uncluttered, easy to paint, and attractive from a distance. I believe any Essex figure must be easily known even from four or five feet owing to this philosophy.
For a Spanish infantryman, those telling details are the cuffs and turnbacks, the bicorn hat, and the pack. Accordingly each of these is rendered prominently while other details may be omitted or downplayed in order to keep the figure crisp. For example, the straps on the pack are too wide for the scale and the bedroll is too small. Given the artistic approach of the Essex line, the result is perfectly pleasing to the eye - easy to distinguish even in my poor photographs. Other examples are easy to spot - the size of the sword and lack of musket detail.
In the end I think Essex is the classic example of a “love it or leave it brand.” If you like this approach to miniatures they consistently produce a high quality product, and you can probably order product blind and be perfectly happy. But if you buy one pack of Essex and don’t like them, scratch them off your list because you never will.
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