Commode (Secrétaire à abattant)
Medium
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)
Dimensions
H. 36-3/4 x W. 56-1/2 x D. 23-1/2 in. (93.3 x 143.5 x 59.7 cm)
Classification
Woodwork-Furniture
Culture
French, Paris
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of William K. Vanderbilt, 1920
Accession Number
20.155.12
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Commode (Secrétaire abattant)* by Jean Henri Riesener, in Paris in 1783, the pinnacle of Louis XVI-era French cabinetmaking. Riesener, the royal ébéniste to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, was renowned for his mastery of Neoclassical furniture, blending symmetry, refinement, and opulent materials. This piece served dual purposes as both a stately chest of drawers and a drop-front writing desk, reflecting the era's demand for multifunctional luxury furnishings among the aristocracy. The commode's oak carcass is veneered in ebony and rare 17th-century Japanese lacquer panels—hig...