Design for the Decoration of the Surround of the Barrel Flat and Rear Sight of a Firearm 1772 - 1830

This is Nicolas Noël Boutet’s design for the decoration of a firearm, made with pen and black ink in the late 18th or early 19th century. Boutet was the director of the Versailles state arms factory and gunsmith to Louis XVI, and later Napoleon. Ornate weaponry was a powerful statement of identity and status in the French aristocracy. The floral motifs and carefully planned symmetry speak to the prevailing tastes of the court, a world of elaborate rituals, fashion, and social hierarchy. But consider how these guns were used: to defend privilege, enforce colonial power, and hunt for sport, often at the expense of marginalized communities. Boutet’s designs bring up the complex relationship between beauty, violence, and power, and make us consider who gets to create and enjoy art, and at what cost.