Biedermeier drop front secretary desk, Berlin 1820.
This exceptional Biedermeier drop front secretary desk has an exquisite interior. The maker used mahogany veneer with ebonized details. The interior of the writing desk shows the cabinetmaker’s love for detail. It has one central compartment surrounded by eight small, beautifully designed drawers and two compartments for letters or documents.
Historical Background
The early 19th-century Biedermeier style marks the transitional period between Neoclassicism and Romanticism. The term Biedermeier derives from the titles of two poems—”Biedermanns Abendgemütlichkeit” (Biedermann’s Evening Comfort) and “Bummelmaiers Klage”
(Bummelmaier’s Complaint). Joseph Victor von Scheffel had published the poems in 1848 in the Munich journal Fliegende Blätter. As a label for the epoch, the term has been used since around 1900.
The “Biedermeier” society, in general, concentrated on the domestic and (at least in public) the non-political. Â As a consequence, the emphasis on home life for the growing middle-class meant a blossoming of furniture design and interior decorating.
Family life, letter writing (giving prominence to the writing table) and the pursuit of hobbies had priority.
Biedermeier furniture was mostly produced in the austro-hungarian empire and in Germany. Stylistically, Biedermeier furniture softened the rigidity of the Empire style. The cabinet makers used light, native woods and avoided the use of metal ornamentation.
Details about this secretaire
The secretaire is in good condition with a nice patina. It measures 80.71 in. x 44.1 in. x 19.69 inches (H 205 cm x W 112 cm x D 50 cm). It ships from Germany and includes shipping costs to Boston. We offer to expertly refinish this piece with a shellac hand polish, please contact us  for more information.
Also take a look at other Biedermeier secretaires in our shop.Â
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