#cabinet-making

Art in 19th-century England

  Boreas by John William Waterhouse, 1903 (Photo credit: WikiArt.org)

Prelude

Britain’s Golden Age of illustration, the illustration of children’s literature in particular, was ushered in, at least in part, by Japonism. Other factors contributed to the flourishing of children’s literature adorned with exquisite illustrations, but the beauty of the Japanese prints that flooded Europe after the Sak…

Contextual study: Abraham Roentgen’s writing desk - Synoptic

(This video shows how the writing desk works)

Abraham Roentgen (30 January 1711 – 1 March 1793) was a German Ébéniste (cabinetmaker).

Abraham Roentgen learned cabinet-making from his father, then worked in the Netherlands and for various London masters. He was regarded as an expert in metal inlay. At age 20, he travelled to Den Haag, Rotterdam and Amsterdam, learning from established cabinet makers. The Roentgen's became known some of the best Cabinet makers of 18th century for their understanding of forming high-end furniture, using a range a rare selection of materials, and using mechanical processes to form and structure their work. Abraham in particular became known for his marquetry work, and worked in London (in the workshop of William Gomm) until 1738. His son, David Roentgen, was born on 11 August 1743. In 1753 they migrated to the Moravian settlement at Neuwied, near Coblenz, where he established a furniture manufactory. Abraham Roentgen died in Herrnhut in Saxony Germany in 1793.

 Around 1760, Roentgen’s furniture became more mechanically complex and luxuriously decorated. Despite his reputation and patronage, the business became financially overstretched and Abraham passed the management to his son David Roentgen in 1772 who established his own reputation. The Roentgens came from nowhere, and through their work ended up just about everywhere: in the courts of Louis XVI of France, of Catherine the Great of Russia and of King Frederick William II of Prussia, not to mention sundry German princes and nobles. Ambition and an urge for newness seem to have run in their blood.  At the V&A I found one of Abraham Roentgen's writing desks. I did further research and came upon this particular highly exquisite desk that is one of most highly praised furniture piece.

 This writing desk particularly struck me. It was desk was made for his premier patron, the Catholic official Johann Philipp von Walderdorff. Its interior holds a multitude of drawers, panels, and compartments, in addition to sophisticated mechanical fittings that safeguard the user’s privacy. The desk uses a wide variety of metal inlay, marquetry and wood pattern arrangement that involves complex design processes known by high-end cabinet makers as the Roentgen family would've been during the 1700s. Not only is beautiful in wooden and metal aesthetics but it has a wide range of opening and closing compartments that work in different ways. Abraham used a variety of mechanized with weights and springs, so that the press of a button or turn of a key can activate authentic choreographies of opening doors and pop-out drawers, hidden niches and secret mirrors, candlestick mounts, easels and bookstands . It has been argued to be perhaps the most exquisite and technically refined pieces of its time using a rarity and variety of materials, that have been composed using complex processes and arranged to be multifunctional as well as secure to only those who knew how to unlock it. Though designed to for several different purposes it's arguably very attractive and entertaining since once opened reveals many hidden design treasures.

 Here is how the desk opens up:

The opening of this desk is a journey in itself requiring the user to understand how to unlock its hidden compartments. First you open a sliding arm to release the main table to rest it on. Then you pull out the main compartment draws in the middle of the table allowing the user to release several more revolving hinged draws and sliding doors to show more hidden doors and a secret inkwell. Two hidden revolving tables can be pulled out from each side which then lift up to form easels. A key catch can be twisted to mechanically pull out a hidden draw underneath the main table. One of the most interesting parts of this piece includes two boxes which are hidden behind a sliding door and then pulled out to reveal several draws. At the bottom of the piece a folding table transforms the desk into a private altar. At the very top of the desk a button is pressed to twist a door 180° niche compartment for devotional objects. When these processes are done in reverse the desk returns to its original form.

 This multifunctional piece holds many compartments within allowing the user to have various objects kept secure and lock away in its complex system, as well as allow the user to write, has surfaces for card games, chess, letter writing and backgammon that open  use it's hidden easels and turn into an altar to pray.

 Abraham also included a variety of rare materials unobtainable by most, only accessible to most high-end cabinet makers in the 18th century. These included gilded mounts and precious inlay in mother-of-pearl, tortoise shell, bronze and ivory alongside with intricate marquetry techniques. A writing desk from 1758-62 that is considered the pinnacle of Abraham’s career epitomizes this complexity. In the decoration its exterior is rife with depictions of either intricate architectural interiors (with sparkling chequered floors) or pastoral landscapes. The resulting collection of intersecting spatial illusions and angles is quite stunning.