The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Set of four three-light sconces (Bras de lumière)

Art Object

Abraham Roentgen's Writing Desk

Discover the secret compartments of this writing table and see how it can be transformed into a private altar.

Perhaps the most exquisite and technically refined piece from German cabinetmaker Abraham Roentgen (1711–1793), this 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 elector’s privacy.

This writing table from the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, is featured in the exhibition Extravagant Inventions: The Princely Furniture of the Roentgens (on view October 30, 2012–January 27, 2013). Learn more about the table: http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/collectie/BK-16676/bureau-op-s-vormige-poten-versierd-met-marqueterie.

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Set of four three-light sconces (Bras de lumière)

Date:: ca. 1750
Culture:: French, Paris
Medium:: Gilt bronze
Dimensions:: Each: H. 28 3/4 x W. 22 7/8 x D. 13 1/4 in. (73 x 58.1 x 33.7 cm)
Classification:: Metalwork
Credit Line:: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 1972
Accession Number:: 1972.284.10–.13

This artwork is currently on display in Gallery 526

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Set of four three-light sconces (Bras de lumière)

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Abraham Roentgen's Writing Desk

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Set of four three-light sconces (Bras de lumière)

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