The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Art Object

Hidden Doors and Secret Drawers: Furniture by the Roentgens

Wolfram Koeppe, the Marina Kellen French Curator at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, discusses the intricate furniture designs created by Abraham and David Roentgen. The father-and-son team created innovative designs that were combined with intriguing mechanical devices to revolutionize traditional French and English furniture types.

Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Extravagant Inventions: The Princely Furniture of the Roentgens, on view October 30, 2012–January 27, 2013.

The exhibition and catalogue are made possible by the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation.

David Roentgen: Long-Case Clock
(00:00:52)

The Roentgens' Berlin Secretary Cabinet
(00:02:20) 11592 views

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Demonstration
(00:02:17) 18190 views

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Animation
(00:01:00) 3155 views

Child with grapes

Real Fabrica de Buen Retiro

Date:: ca. 1770–80
Culture:: Spanish (Madrid)
Medium:: Soft-paste porcelain
Dimensions:: H. 8 in. (20.3 cm)
Classification:: Ceramics
Credit Line:: The Hans Syz Collection, Gift of Stephan B. Syz and John D. Syz, 1995
Accession Number:: 1995.268.346

This artwork is not on display

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Hidden Doors and Secret Drawers: Furniture by the Roentgens

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Real Fabrica de Buen Retiro

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Hidden Doors and Secret Drawers: Furniture by the Roentgens

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Child with grapes

Real Fabrica de Buen Retiro

Met Media

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Met Store