Pair of Bookcases (Bibliothèques)
Medium
kingwood and rosewood veneers, gilt metal mounts
Dimensions
247.6 × 132.1 × 57.2 cm
Classification
Furniture and woodwork
Department
Decorative Art and Design
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1958.129
Tags
About this artwork
One of the obligations of a wealthy existence in the early 1700s was an interest in reading, or at least the impression of developing such an interest. Large bookcases such as these helped in that pursuit as they kept elaborately leather-bound books neatly behind a screen. The broad panels of marquetry and gilt-bronze mounts below suggest that the overall decorative scheme of figures symbolizing Geography and Commerce was perhaps more prominent than the rich intellectual holdings within.