Detail View: The AMICA Library: Desk (Secrétaire)
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AMICA ID:
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MMA_.20.155.11
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AMICA Library Year:
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2000
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Object Type:
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Decorative Arts and Utilitarian Objects
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Creator Name:
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Riesener, Jean-Henri
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Creator Role:
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Maker
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Creator Dates/Places:
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1734-1806
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Creator Name-CRT:
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Jean-Henri Riesener
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Title:
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Desk (Secrétaire)
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Title Type:
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Object name
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View:
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Front View
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Creation Date:
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18th century (1784)
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Creation Start Date:
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1784
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Creation End Date:
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1784
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Materials and Techniques:
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Ebony, kingwood, purplewood, holly on oak; white marble top; gilt-bronze mounts; Japanese lacquer with later French japanned additions
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Classification Term:
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Woodwork-Furniture
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Dimensions:
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H. 57 in. (144.8 cm), W. 43 in. (109.2 cm), D. 16 in. (40.6 cm)
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AMICA Contributor:
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The Metropolitan Museum of Art
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Owner Location:
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New York, New York, USA
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ID Number:
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20.155.11
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Credit Line:
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Bequest of William K. Vanderbilt, 1920
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Rights:
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Context:
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This secretary and its companion commode (MMA, 20.155.12) stood in Marie Antoinette's private apartment at the château de Saint-Cloud; her initials appear three times in the gilt-bronze frieze under the marble top. The opulent refinement of this secretary, made about 1784 by Riesener, responds to the taste of his royal client. Cascading down the front are exquisitely chased gilt-bronze flowers, while fruit, wheat, flowers, and symbols of princely glory spill from the cornucopia mounts along the lower edge. The black-and-gold panels of Japanese lacquer reflect the queen's fondness for this material. |
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Related Image Identifier Link:
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MMA_.es20.155.11.AV1.tif
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