NEUWIED, IN THE MANNER OF ABRAHAM ROENTGEN, CIRCA 1760

These chairs are very similar to examples by Abraham Roentgen (1711-1793), who worked in the Hague and Rotterdam before settling in London in 1731. In 1750, he moved his workshop to Neuwied, Germany, where he soon became known for furniture of outstanding quality, producing pieces for the German courts. Roentgen's influence on both the local furniture workshops, and indeed on furniture production and design throughout much of Central Europe, was enormous. Many workshops produced furniture in the manner of Abraham Roentgen, but rarely do they come so close to the master innovator as in the case of these particular chairs.

Two different side chairs were supplied to Prince-Bishop Johann Philipp von Walderdorff, probably Roentgen's most important local patron and now in the Städtmuseum, Trier, and the Kunstgewerbemuseum, Köln, which have, along with similar shapes, the same combination of prominent inlaid lattice-work alternating with paterae as well as some additional floral marquetry (see J. M. Greber, Abraham und David Roentgen, Möbel für Europa, Starnberg, 1980, vol. II, p. 105, pls. 192-196).