18th Century Louis XVI German Marquetry Secretaire, 1790s

Classicist top-mounted secretary with elaborate marquetry

Southern Germany
Walnut and others
Classicism around 1790

Dimensions: H x W x D: 213 x 115 x 57 cm

:
Exceptionally richly marquetry piece of furniture from the German classicism of the late 18th century.

The piece of furniture is dominated by extravagant marquetry. The tapered shape of the legs, which are set in brass sabots, is emphasised by corresponding inlay work. The pilaster strips are inlaid with trompe-l'œil fluting, friezes run above and below the writing compartment and fillet bands are present in incredible abundance.
There are a total of nine large marquetry panels on the front of the cabinet. The oval medallions feature elaborate floral arrangements.

The visual organisation of the chest-like base is not based on the height of the drawers, but is determined by the inlay work, which extends across two of the three sans traverse drawers, regardless of the drawer height. This design decision certainly emphasises the creator's claim to have made the secretary not simply as a piece of furniture, but as an artistic work. This theory is also supported by the omission of handles, which would have disturbed the picture, and even the omission of a lock in the second drawer from the bottom, which can only be opened if the drawer underneath is pulled out a little first.
A landscape of rivers and ruins appears as the central motif in the place described. In keeping with the taste of classicism, ruins were a favourite subject, as they were reminiscent of the great architectural achievements of antiquity and past eras.

However, the main focus is on the marquetry of the cylindrical writing flap. Here, too, we encounter historical architecture: on the left a castle-like complex, on the right a group of half-timbered houses.
In the foreground, on a hill in front of the river, a small group of figures can be recognised. The finely engraved facial features of the figure on the left are clearly recognisable in one of the detailed photos.
The quality of the fire shading, which lends both the architectural scenes and the surrounding flower arrangements a three-dimensional effect, is particularly noteworthy.

The single-door top of the piece of furniture has three high rectangular panels with corner leaves. On the risalike protruding central section, we see a memorial standing on a broad plinth with an urn vase positioned on a fluted column.
An eagle sitting with outstretched wings guards the monument, whose figure surrounded by ripe fruit in the medallion could possibly indicate the person who ordered the piece of furniture.
A shallow drawer, which is opened by a hidden release, is concealed in the cornice above the centrepiece. This secret drawer was probably added during an older restoration.

If we open the cylinder lock, we see a spacious writing and working area with four drawers and three open compartments.
Here, optimally protected from sunlight, the original, very well-preserved green colouring on the framing of the writing surface conveys an impression of the rich colouring in which the entire piece of furniture was once decorated.

The shade of green has also been well preserved on the inside of the top, otherwise the original bright colours of the flowers, the blue of the sky and the colourfulness of the landscapes have gradually faded over the 250 years or so since the piece of furniture was made.

The base of the piece of furniture was made using the classic gallery construction method: The legs serve as supporting posts, into which strong boards are mortised to form the sides and back. If we look at the photo showing the back wall of the piece of furniture, it is noticeable that the lower part consists of a single, wide wooden plank. This is unusual and speaks in favour of the high quality of the material used. Inferior or even scrap wood was not used, as is often the case with back panels, but the best oak wood was used throughout.

Worth knowing:
Originally, the marquetry was certainly all brightly coloured and the colourfulness of the furniture at the time was in stark contrast to its appearance today.

The fact that 18th century marquetry not only consisted of different coloured types of wood, but was often also coloured, is documented in numerous historical recipe books. The so-called peinture en bois, i.e. "wood painting", was a common practice among ebony artists of the time.
The natural ageing process - accelerated by sunlight and environmental influences - caused the colouring agents to fade or disappear completely, meaning that only traces of these colour nuances are still visible on most furniture today.

The colouring techniques involved considerable effort and were closely guarded by cabinetmakers. Walnut served as the common base veneer, maple was coloured: In addition to local plant colours, exotic woods and roots were used to prepare the dye brew. These colouring agents were traded in the colonial goods trade at prices similar to pepper or tea.
It was not until the end of the 18th century that chroniclers began to systematically document the processes for producing and colouring marquetry. By this time, however, contemporary tastes had already changed: The art of marquetry was becoming less important, simpler forms of Classicism and later Empire and Biedermeier were gaining ground in the art centres of Europe. In rural regions, however, the tradition of coloured marquetry lasted even longer.

Both the labour-intensive workmanship and the sometimes costly dyes used made furniture such as the one offered here expensive works of art even then, which only the nobility, high-ranking servants of the church or the very upper middle classes could afford.

Condition:
Restored and authentic condition suitable for everyday use with a beautiful age patina.

Similarly elaborate marquetry is known from the Franco-German border region. Please refer to the following literature:
Kreisel / Himmelheber - Die Kunst des deutschen Möbels - Band III - Klassizismus - Historismus - Jugendstil Fig. 169 and following

and:
Françoise Lévy-Coblentz - L’art du meuble en Alsace au siècle des Lumières P. 330 Fig. CXL

Work of this kind is also known from the greater Augsburg area:
Christoph Graf von Pfeil - Die Möbel der Residenz Ansbach from. S. 276

You can find out more about wood colouring in the following specialist book:
Stefan Baumeier - Feine Möbel aus Westfalen from p. 101