Design for the Decoration of the Grip of a Pocket Pistol 1770 - 1830

This is a design in graphite by Nicolas Noël Boutet for the decoration of a pistol grip. Boutet was the director of the state-owned arms factory in Versailles during the French Revolution and Napoleonic era. This drawing demonstrates the fashion for classical imagery during that period. The figures are rendered in a neoclassical style, inspired by ancient Greek and Roman art. Note how the iconography of warfare is here integrated into the very design of a weapon. The drawing itself also speaks to institutional history. As a design produced at the apex of the French state arms industry, it bears witness to the industrialization and rationalization of warfare during that time. Understanding an artwork like this involves delving into the social and political context in which it was created. Historical sources, such as archival documents and period publications, can shed light on the cultural values and institutional forces that shaped the design of even a pistol grip.