The Metropolitan Museum of Art

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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Pietà

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (French, Valenciennes 1827–1875 Courbevoie)

Date:: ca. 1864
Culture:: French
Medium:: Terracotta
Dimensions:: Overall: 11 7/16 x 7 1/16 x 5 15/16 in. (29.1 x 17.9 x 15.1 cm)
Classification:: Sculpture
Credit Line:: Purchase, Assunta Sommella Peluso, Ada Peluso, and Romano I. Peluso Gift, in memory of Ignazio Peluso, 2001
Accession Number:: 2001.199

This artwork is currently on display in Gallery 552

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Abraham Roentgen's Writing Desk

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Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (French, Valenciennes 1827–1875 Courbevoie)

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Abraham Roentgen's Writing Desk

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Pietà

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (French, Valenciennes 1827–1875 Courbevoie)

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