A Louis XVI ormolu-mounted mahogany writing table circa 1775, probably Danish and designed by Caspar Frederick Harsdorff

the rectangular top inset with a leather-lined writing surface above a border of pierced scrolls, the frieze with three cedar-lined drawers on each long side, fitted with ormolu keyhole escutcheons cast with laurel swags, raised on turned tapered brass-fluted legs headed by ormolu rosettes, ending in foliate-cast ormolu sabots on ball feet. 



The central drawer stamped '4_R'

Sold, Ader Picard, Paris, June 15, 1984

G. Wannenes, Mobili Francesi del Settecento, Milan, 1990, illustrated, p. 132.

P. Kjellberg, Le Mobilier Français du XVIII Siècle, Paris, 2002, illustrated, p. 762 (attributed to David Roentgen).

Caspar Frederik Harsdorff (1735-1799) in 1770 was appointed architect to the Danish Court and over the course of the ensuing 29 years was responsible not only for redesigning various royal palaces, but also for designing and installing the furniture.  Harsdorff's first responsibility was the re-design of the interior of Frederiksberg Palace from 1770-1771.  A table certainly designed by him for the Queen's bedchamber at Frederiksberg closely relates to the present table.  It is of identical design with three frieze drawers raised on substantial, fluted legs ending in identical foliate sabots and ball feet; it is also fitted with an identical border around the top.  Another virtually identical table is also in the Danish royal collection and thought to have been designed by Harsdorff (see, Tove Clemmensen, Mobler af N.H. Jardin, C.F. Harsdorff og J.C. Lillie, Copenhagen, 1973, pls. 76 a-b and 77 a-b.)

Other tables designed by Harsdorff have survived which reflect the influence of Parisian cabinet-makers whose work he became very familiar with during the five years he spent studying in the French capital from 1757-1762.  He was very much influenced by the nascent transitional and "goût grec" styles and certainly would have seen the famous furniture which stood in Lalive de Jully's apartment which was open to the public.

There was a shop in Copenhagen called the "Royal Furniture Emporium" which had been founded by the city architect Georg Erdmann Rosenberg in order to encourage Danish craftsmen.  Harsdorff is known to have acquired furnishings from this emporium and very possibly provided designs to be executed by the cabinet-makers it employed.  In 1778, in his capacity as a director of this institution, Rosenberg recruited the services of the cabinet-maker George Roentgen, David Roentgen's younger brother.  This is of some interest inasmuch as the present table, historically, has been attributed to the workshop of George's celebrated older brother.

Although Harsdorff worked principally for the Court, he did have some private clients, notably Count and Countess Moltke.  Given the high quality of materials and workmanship of the present table, it is not unreasonable to assume a prestigious provenance.