Design for the Decoration of Firearms 1772 - 1830

Nicolas Noël Boutet made this design for firearm decoration with pen and black ink in France. Boutet was the director of the Versailles arms factory. This drawing offers a glimpse into the world of firearm manufacturing during a period of intense political and social change. We can imagine that the image of gunpowder smoke rising from a barrel might be more than a pretty picture. In France at this time, firearms had become a potent symbol of state power. So in designing the decoration for these firearms, Boutet was effectively contributing to the visual rhetoric of authority and control. To properly understand Boutet's work, historians might look into the records of the Versailles arms factory, study the political iconography of the French Revolution, and consider the social impact of firearm technology. In doing so we can gain a greater understanding of this design.