Miquelet Gun Made for Charles IV of Spain (reigned 1788–1808) 1796

This is a miquelet gun made for Charles IV of Spain, who reigned from 1788 to 1808. Although the artist, Antonio Guisasola, was born in 1796, this gun was made earlier, so he would have been working in another artist’s workshop. We might consider the politics of weaponry: the gun is a symbol of power relations between royalty and the general population. The artistry involved elevates the gun to a status symbol for the King, but it is also a reminder of the violence upon which that power rests. Consider Spain at this time: the height of the enlightenment but also the beginnings of revolution in Europe, in France and beyond. To understand this gun better we need to consider the social conditions that shaped its production: the economics of gun manufacture and the market for luxury items. The museum provides a space to encounter this object, but it’s also a reminder that our understanding of art is contingent on social and institutional context.