Furniture by one of the greatest cabinet-makers of the eighteenth century
ATTRIBUTED TO JEAN-HENRI RIESENER (1734–1806)
Cylinder desk
c.1785Oak, conifer, mahogany, gilt bronze, Carrara marble | 124.2 x 121.5 x 68 cm | F277
Although renowned for making furniture with beautiful marquetry decoration, from the early 1780s Riesener also made furniture decorated with figured mahogany veneers, such as this cylinder desk. Its neoclassical design is both elegant and functional. It provides multiple reading and writing surfaces (most of which can be secured by locking the cylinder top) and beautifully sculpted gilt-bronze candle arms for light, which scroll upwards from the sides of the desk.
Isometric drawings
Graphics showing the construction of the object
Digital model
3D visualisation of the object
Watch the film below to discover the technical brilliance of Riesener’s furniture design
