Lot Essay
This secretaire demonstrates the fashion for French marquetry furniture in Holland in the second half of the 18th Century. Indeed, French furniture was imported into Holland in such large quantities that in the early 1770s cabinet-makers in Amsterdam and The Hague demanded a ban on this threat to their livelihood. As a result, numerous Dutch cabinet-makers emulated the French style. Although furniture of this type - with naturalistic marquetry, marble tops and fanciful ormolu mounts - was undoubtably made in several Dutch towns , it was probably most admired in The Hague and Amsterdam. (R.J.Baarsen, ''In de commode van Parijs tot Den Haag', Matthijs Horrix (1735-1809), een meubelmaker in Den Haag in de tweede helft van de achttiende eeuw', 'Oud Holland' 107(1993), p.163)
The most important cabinet-maker to work in this genre in Amsterdam was Andries Bongen (ca.1732-1792), whose advertisement in the Amsterdamsche Courant of 4 December 1766 mentions 'A Secretaire..., inlaid and engraved, ... in the French manner'. This is the first mention of a secretaire in an advertisement in this newspaper and one can assume that this type of furniture had only recently been introduced to Amsterdam. (R.J.Baarsen, 'Andries Bongen (ca. 1732-1792) en de Franse invloed op de Amsterdamse kastenmakerij in de 2de helft van de 18de eeuw', Oud Holland 102(1988), p.16 and p.30)
See illustration
The most important cabinet-maker to work in this genre in Amsterdam was Andries Bongen (ca.1732-1792), whose advertisement in the Amsterdamsche Courant of 4 December 1766 mentions 'A Secretaire..., inlaid and engraved, ... in the French manner'. This is the first mention of a secretaire in an advertisement in this newspaper and one can assume that this type of furniture had only recently been introduced to Amsterdam. (R.J.Baarsen, 'Andries Bongen (ca. 1732-1792) en de Franse invloed op de Amsterdamse kastenmakerij in de 2de helft van de 18de eeuw', Oud Holland 102(1988), p.16 and p.30)
See illustration