19th Century Country French Louis XVI Slant Front Secretary Desk

Stock Number: 2201-211199

38.5H x 37.5W x 16D; surface 25H

Price: $2,786

Location: Dallas

A 19th century Country French Louis XVI secretary carved from solid old growth oak, its warm, mellow patina glowing across a wealth of neoclassical ornament. The slant front is a framed work of art, with scrolling rinceaux, open roses, and rosettes rising in full relief from the richly figured grain, finished with a finely cast bronze key escutcheon. A fluted frieze centered with a sunflower rosette leads to the full width drawer, carved to echo the panel above with stylized palmettes and rosettes flanking a beaded medallion and matching bronze escutcheon. The fluted apron sweeps in the curve of an archer's bow, hung with laurel swags from a carved ribbon bow, and fluted, reeded cornerposts flow gracefully into cabriole legs. Raised panels set within molded frameworks dress the sides.
Lowered onto its pull out supports, the slant front opens to a fitted interior of shelving, a cubby, and five small drawers with fluted facades and brass knobs, offering a comfortable surface for writing or a laptop workstation. A shallow top above invites a pair of candlesticks or a few favorite books.
Throughout the 19th century, French cabinetmakers celebrated the refined legacy of their nation's furniture making by reviving and reinterpreting its great styles. In the provinces, artisans brought a graceful charm to the French Louis XVI vocabulary of laurel, ribbons, and fluting, pairing it with the softly curving cabriole leg.
With its slender wall-hugging profile, the secretary settles easily into an entry hall, a bedroom corner, or beside a window in a living room, bringing quiet European elegance to a modern home office.
Circa 1880s
Measures 38.5H x 37.5W x 16D; surface 25H
Available at Inessa Stewart's Antiques, Dallas Design District, Dallas, Texas.