Design for the Decoration of the Surround of the Ramrod Pipe of a Firearm
ca. 1795–1805
Medium
Pencil, ink, gray wash on paper
Dimensions
3 1/4 x 1 7/8 in. (8.3 x 4.8 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
2004.101.18
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing by Nicolas Noël Boutet captures a preparatory design for the ornate surround of a firearm’s ramrod pipe, a small yet essential component of early nineteenth-century guns. Created in Versailles around 179–1805, the sheet reflects the refined taste of French arms production during the transition from the Revolutionary period to the Napoleonic era. Boutet, working at the heart of France’s celebrated arms industry, translated the elegance of courtly ornament into functional objects. Executed in pencil, ink, and gray wash, the design features graceful floral motifs and styliz...
About the Artist
Nicolas Noël Boutet · 1761–1833
French, Versailles and Paris, 1761–1833