Design for the Decoration of a Pistol Grip
ca. 1797–1805
Medium
Pencil, ink, gray wash on paper
Dimensions
4 x 8 1/2 in. (10.2 x 21.6 cm)
Classification
Works on Paper-Drawings
Culture
French, Versailles
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Clay P. Bedford Gift, 2004
Accession Number
2004.101.54
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite drawing, *Design for the Decoration of Pistol Grip* by Nicolas Noël Boutet dates to around 1797–1805 and hails from the prestigious Manufacture de Versailles, France's armory. Boutet, a master gunsmith and director of the royal workshops, crafted luxury firearms for nobility and later Napoleon Bonaparte. Created amid the post-Revolutionary era, this preparatory sketch reflects the era's blend of functionality and opulence, where even weapons became canvases for artistic virtuosity. The tag "Rams" hints at classical motifs—likely ram heads symbolizing strength and antiquity—evoki...
About the Artist
Nicolas Noël Boutet · 1761–1833
French, Versailles and Paris, 1761–1833