Design for the Decoration of the Side Plate of a Firearm 1772 - 1830

This is a design for a firearm side plate, made in pen and ink by Nicolas Noël Boutet, likely in France during the late 18th or early 19th century. Boutet was the director of the Versailles arms factory, the Manufacture de Versailles. Here, he oversaw the production of firearms for the French royal family and later, Napoleon. As such, the factory became a symbol of political power, class division, and national identity. The design features intricate floral patterns and geometric shapes, reflecting the artistic tastes of the time. In the historical context of late 18th-century France, such details would speak to aristocratic tastes and patronage. It embodies the contradictions of revolutionary France, poised between the opulence of the aristocracy and the violence needed to overthrow it. To better understand this work, we can look into the archives of the Manufacture de Versailles, which are likely to reveal much about the social and institutional history of French art and industry.