Nouveaux Ornemens D'Arquebuseries

Gilles Demarteau

ca. 1750–55 · Ink on paper · Arms and Armor

Demarteau, the son of a Liege gunsmith, was apprenticed under the Parisian engraver De Lacollombe, who is known chiefly for his designs for firearms ornament. These prints, part of a set of nineteen, come from Demarteau's only pattern book devoted solely to firearms decoration. 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.

Artist

Gilles Demarteau

Date

ca. 1750–55

Medium

Ink on paper

Culture

French, Paris

Department

Arms and Armor

Credit line

Purchase, Gift of Russell B. Aitken, by exchange, 2006