Plate Nine from Nouveavx Desseins D'Arquebvseries

Gilles Demarteau

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The pattern book to which this plate belongs was among the most influential means by which the French fashion of firearms ornament spread across Europe and remained the leading style throughout the eighteenth century. Intended to be made in chiseled steel, cast silver, and carved wood, these designs demonstrate the playful and inventive use of late baroque and rococo ornament that characterize the most beautiful firearms of the period. Demarteau was the son of a Liege gunsmith and apprenticed under the Parisian engraver De Lacollombe, who is known chiefly for designs of firearms ornament. From the 1750s onward, Demarteau established himself as one of the most successful engravers of his generation and was renowned for perfecting the technique en manière de crayon, which allowed prints to simulate the appearance and subtlety of chalk drawings.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The principal goals of the Arms and Armor Department are to collect, preserve, research, publish, and exhibit distinguished examples representing the art of the armorer, swordsmith, and gunmaker. Arms and armor have been a vital part of virtually all cultures for thousands of years, pivotal not only in conquest and defense, but also in court pageantry and ceremonial events. Throughout time the best armor and weapons have represented the highest artistic and technical capabilities of the society and period in which they were made, forming a unique aspect of both art history and material culture.

Metropolitan Museum of Art