Design for a Concave Corner Cabinet (Possibly Part of a Larger Wall-Covering Unit)

ca. 1730–40
Not on view
Although at first sight this design for a cabinet may appear somewhat strange, a second view tells us that we’re looking at the somewhat flattened perspectival view of a concave corner cabinet. A very similar shaped example can be found in the secret library of the Benedictine monastery at Ottobeuren (Schwaben, Germany), where it is part of a larger wall unit dated 1730. The decorations of both cabinets are also very similar with a relatively modest pattern made up out of strapwork which is so typical for the Baroque period. Strongly adding to the decorative effect however, was the interplay of the different wood species used for the marquetry. The cabinet at Ottobeuren is characterized by a base of nut wood, which was contrasted by the dark outline of mahogany and plum and enlivened by the painterly effect of the flaming wood grain of birch and maple wood. Although the draftsman has used a mainly gray-toned palette for this drawing, the different wood species he intended to incorporate in his design can be clearly recognized by his use of light and dark and his accurate rendering of the different types of wood grain.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Design for a Concave Corner Cabinet (Possibly Part of a Larger Wall-Covering Unit)
  • Artist: Anonymous, German, 18th century
  • Date: ca. 1730–40
  • Medium: Pen and black ink, brush and gray and brown wash, watercolor, traces of ruled graphite lines
  • Dimensions: sheet: 14 1/8 x 9 5/8 in. (35.8 x 24.5 cm)
  • Classifications: Drawings, Ornament & Architecture
  • Credit Line: Gift of János Scholz, 1942
  • Object Number: 42.53.56
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

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.