Small writing table

ca. 1755–60

Not on view

Small convenient tables provided with a writing slide and a drawer for writing implements were found in nearly every room of the mid eighteenth-century home. This elegant piece by Criaerd is entirely framed by gilt-bronze moldings and has kept its gilt-bronze receptacles for ink and sand needed for letter writing. Books or papers could be placed on the shelf underneath as can be seen on a related table in the well-known portrait of Madame de Pompadour by François Boucher of 1756 (Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlung, Munich).

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: Small writing table
Maker: Antoine-Mathieu Criaerd (French, 1724–1787)
Date: ca. 1755–60
Culture: French, Paris
Medium: Oak veneered with tulipwood and amaranth, gilt bronze, leather
Dimensions: Overall: 26 3/4 × 17 1/4 × 12 3/4 in. (67.9 × 43.8 × 32.4 cm)
Classification: Woodwork-Furniture
Credit Line: The Lesley and Emma Sheafer Collection, Bequest of Emma A. Sheafer, 1973
Object Number: 1974.356.203
Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

More Artwork

By Antoine-Mathieu Criaerd

From the same time and place

A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.

Commode, Antoine-Mathieu Criaerd French, Satiné wood, gilt bronze, marble, French, Paris — Commode
Antoine-Mathieu Criaerd
ca. 1745–49

Folding card table (table de jeu brisée en angle), Bernard II van Risenburgh, Oak veneered with tulipwood, purplewood, kingwood, satiné wood, walnut; gilt bronze; modern silk velvet, French, Paris — Folding card table (table de jeu brisée en angle)
Bernard II van Risenburgh
ca. 1755–65

Drop-front secretary (Secrétaire en armoire), Jean Henri Riesener French, Oak veneered with ebony and 17th-century Japanese lacquer; interiors veneered with tulipwood, amaranth, holly, and ebonized holly; gilt-bronze mounts; marble top; velvet (not original), French, Paris — Drop-front secretary (Secrétaire en armoire)
Jean Henri Riesener
1783

Commode (Secrétaire à abattant), Jean Henri Riesener French, Oak veneered with ebony and 17th-century Japanese lacquer; interiors veneered with tulipwood, amaranth, holly, and ebonized holly; gilt-bronze mounts; marble top; velvet (not original), French, Paris — Commode (Secrétaire à abattant)
Jean Henri Riesener
1783

Writing table (bureau plat), Gilles Joubert French, Lacquered oak, gilt-bronze mounts, lined with modern leather, French, Paris — Writing table (bureau plat)
Gilles Joubert
1759

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.