LOVE IS IN THE AIR: We swap guns for flowers in this late-war diorama

摘要

One of the supposedly accepted rules of modelling is that good dioramas have to tell a story. I have never been very convinced about this statement; I have seen dioramas in which nothing really happens that nevertheless looked excellent, and others containing a plot that said nothing to me - and all of this regardless of their technical qualities. What are then the qualities of a good diorama? Over the last few years my way of seeing dioramas, or even small scenic settings or vignettes for military vehicles has somewhat changed. I do not dare to say that it is modelling itself that has changed, but more likely only my own humble perception of this subject. Some years ago I appreciated the quality of a model in itself, that is, its merits in regard to the building, detailing and the painting, whereas the 'surroundings' (figures, equipment, scenic base...) were secondary factors. That was reflected in my own modelling where I rarely added figures or even simple scenic groundwork.