Cleveland Decorative Arts newsletter

1. OFFICERS
Ware Petznick, President
Judith Sheridan, Vice
President
Dale Hilton, 2nd
Vice
President
James Weaver, Secretary
Terrence Sheridan, Treasurer
DIRECTORS
Mary Ann Conn-Brody
Linda Harper
R. Robertson Hilton
Madelyn Koltcz
Molly Weaver
Dean Zimmerman
Marci Zimmerman
HONORARY
Shirley Dawson, Honorary
Stephen Harrison, Honorary
John Hellman, Honorary
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C L E V E L A N D D E C O R A T I V E A R T S
C D A U P D A T E S
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the CDA Board has decided to share
with you news, links and updates in the
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you enjoy it.
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SECRÉTAIRE À
ABATTANT
Commissioned by King Louis XVI
1786-1787
Guillaume Benneman ébéniste and others
Paris, France
tulipwood, kingwood, holly and
mahogany veneers on oak carcass with
ormolu mounts
Secrétaire à abattant is a term that
describes a desk with concealed
drawers and shelves behind a
drop-down door. Abattant can be
translated from the French as
something that is put into a
horizontal position. Commonly this
has become a leaf, flap or wing.
Perhaps the most exceptional
secrétaire à abattant ever made is
in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
King Louis XVI of France
commissioned Parisian ébéniste
(cabinetmaker) Guillaume
Benneman to produce this tall
desk for Louis XVI's hunting lodge,
the Palais de Compiègne in 1786-
1787.
This writing desk is exceptional for
many reasons, not least of which is
its royal provenance and the very
thorough documentation of its
entire history- from the team of
Parisian craftsmen who
contributed to its construction and
embellishment in the Neoclassical
taste to every owner who
possessed it until it entered the
Met's collection in 1971.
Photos here fail to convey the
magnificence of this writing desk.
The ormolu mounts were fire
gilded and chased to dazzle in the
light. Precisely cut veneers were
arranged beautifully in refined
patterns. The vitruvian wave
pattern across the top drawer
firmly places the iconography in
the Neoclassical period as do its
June 5, 2020
ZOOM COCKTAILS!
FACEBOOK
OFFICERS
Ware Petznick,
President
Judith Sheridan,
Vice President
Dale Hilton,
2nd Vice President
James Weaver,
Secretary
Terrence Sheridan,
Treasurer
DIRECTORS
Mary Ann Conn-Brody
Linda Harper
R. Robertson Hilton
Madelyn Koltcz
Molly Weaver
Dean Zimmerman
Marci Zimmerman
HONORARY
Shirley Dawson
Stephen Harrison
John Hellman
Join us on Facebook or
via our website
clevelanddecorativearts.org

2. C L E V E L A N D D E C O R A T I V E A R T S
C D A U P D A T E S
PAGE 2
LINKS WE LIKE
Note: links to more data
are underlined.
LINKS WE LIKE
Note: Click on blue
links for more
information.
GOOD BOOKS
Inside the Head of a
Collector:
Neuropsychological
Forces at Play
By Dr. Shirley Mueller
VIRTUAL TOUR
Tomb of Ramesses VI
OBJECTS
Rowfant Club
Candlestick, Tiffany
Studios, Sold in 2018
Waste Bowl, Louis
Rorimer, Rokesby Shop
@CMA
CONTRIBUTE
Have decorative arts
news to share? Want to
write a feature? Please
send to:
l.petznick@csuohio.edu
ormolu mounts. Ancient Greece
and Rome inspired the decoration
though the form is an 18th century
invention.
The drop-front door reveals
drawers and small cubicles where
King Louis XVI's correspondence
could be tucked away neatly and
securely behind a locked door.
The concept of the drop-front door
to serve as a writing surface
covered in tooled leather is not
unique to this form, but it seems to
have been one of the first. Other
desks also hide paperwork behind
a tambour or a door. Likewise, the
Scottish Lady Closet by Francis
Brodie at Dumfries House also had
a single door that opened to reveal
small drawers and cupboards.
The drop-leaf writing desk was a
form used through the end of the
18th and well into the 19th century
in Europe and America. Many
variations of this form may be
found in America today, but you
might have to hunt for it. In King
Louis XVI's desk, it appeared to be
a commode (cabinet), but it
functioned as a writing table. As
ever, looks can be deceptive!
To learn more:
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/c
ollection/
or
Click on each photo.
One could refer to these convertible desks
as examples of metamorphic furniture,
which was popular in the 18th
century.
More on that for another CDA Updates.
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