Antique Louis XV Secretary Desk, France 1760
This original antique Louis XV Secretary Desk dates back to around 1760 and comes from France. This remarkable piece has a stunning veneer and marquetry. The elegant unique slant-top desk or “secretaire en pente” combines different walnut veneer grains with maple and bird’s-eye maple as well as satinwood. The secretaire has three drawers on the outside. The inside of the writing compartment has six small drawers, several open compartments and a secret compartment. This gorgeous and desk is of extraordinary quality and in very good original condition with its original patina.
Louis XV Style
The Louis XV style can be broken down into three periods. During the early years (1715-1730) when the King was too young to rule, furniture stuck after the vein of the larger, geometric Louis XIV style. This period was known as The Regency. From 1730 until 1750, during “The First Style,” we began to see more ornate and exuberant designs, as well as asymmetrical construction. This fashion of design was referred to as rocaille, French for “rock.”

Finally, from 1750 until the end of Louis XV’s reign (he died in 1774) “The Second Style ” featured a reaction against the rocaille and its excesses. This period makes use of the burgeoning influence of neoclassicism, spurred by recent archeological discoveries in the Mediterranean. As a result, furniture began to sport Roman and Greek aesthetic and motifs. The later furniture even goes so far as to incorporate decorative elements of Chinoiserie and other exotic styles. This preceded the neoclassical Louis XVI style to come.
Details
It measures Height: 39.38 in. (100 cm), Width: 39.38 in. (100 cm), Depth: 22.05 in. (56 cm) and ships from Europe and includes shipping costs and customs to Boston. Please contact us by email or call us for any further questions.