Plate Ten from Nouveavx Desseins D’Arquebvseries

About this artwork

Plate Ten from Nouveavx Desseins D’Arquebvseries by Gilles Demarteau, dated 1744. Created in Engraving, this work exemplifies the artistic practices and cultural values of its period. The piece reflects the technical skills and aesthetic sensibilities characteristic of its historical and cultural context. As part of the Arms and Armor collection, it contributes to our understanding of artistic development and cultural expression. The work serves as both an aesthetic object and a historical docum...

Art Historical Context

Gilles Demarteau's *Plate Ten from Nouve Dessins d’Arquebusiers*, dated 174, is a exquisite French engraving that captures the ornate world of 18th-century design. As plate ten in a series of innovative patterns, it showcases intricate ornamental motifs likely intended for decorating arquebuses—early firearms whose stocks were often embellished with elaborate engravings to reflect the owner's status. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Arms Armor Department, this work bridges artistry and functionality, highlighting how even weapons were elevated to aesthetic objects during France's Rococo era. Demarteau, a master engraver, employed precise etching and line work on a modest plate size of 8½ x 6⅜ inches, demonstrating the technical virtuosity of period printmaking. Engravings like this served as practical templates for gunsmiths and armorers, disseminating sophisticated designs across workshops. The sheet's larger dimensions (11⅞ x 9⅛ inches) allowed for detailed study, underscoring engraving's role in standardizing ornamental styles. This piece not only exemplifies French cultural elegance—where ornamentation symbolized refinement—but also preserves a snapshot of military material culture. Acquired through the Michael H. Pourfar Gift in 2016, it invites visitors to appreciate how art intertwined with everyday power in the Age of Enlightenment.

About the Artist

Gilles Demarteau · 1729–1776

Gilles Demarteau the Elder, born on January 19, 1722, in Liège, began his career steeped in the craft of metalwork. The son of a gunsmith, he learned engraving and goldsmithing from his father before moving to Paris around 1748–1750 to join his brother, who worked as a goldsmith for the engraver De Lacollombe, renowned for firearm ornament designs. Demarteau trained in De Lacollombe's workshop as ...