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拍品專文
This magnificent writing desk was the centre piece of the study of Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1823-1883) in Schwerin Castle. Together with a lectern made en-suite to the desk it ranks amongst the best examples of German Renaissance revival furniture.
After his accession to the Grand Duchy of Schwerin in 1842, Friedrich Franz II had the castle of Schwerin renovated and refurbished. The comission was first given to court architect Georg Adolph Demler, who had to give way to Friedrich August Stüler in 1851, soon afterwards Stüler also took responsibility for the refurbishment of the interior. Stüler (1800-1865), a pupil of Karl Friedrich Schinkel was a prolific architect who was mainly active in Berlin. Amongst other commissions he built the Orangery for Sanssouci, Potsdam (1851-1860) and the Neues Museum just North of Schinkel's Alte Museum on the museum island Berlin (1859). The work on Schwerin castle was extensive and involved the fusion of four buildings dating from the 15th to 17th century, creating one of the most important, and certainly one of the most imposing buildings in the Historismus style. The works were completed in 1857, and on the 26th of May Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II and his wife Grand Duchesse Augusta (1822-1862) moved into the new palace. The present writing desk, made to a monumental scale was conceived to a similar vein as the castle it was made for. With it's huge dimensions and it's exceptional quality in superb flame figured walnut veneers it was made to impress and underline the standing of its owner. Its superb craftsmanship make it a demonstration of German ébénisterie at the highest possible level in the middle of the 19th Century. Even with its huge proportions the Reinholdt brothers succeeded in crafting a piece of furniture of elegant, harmonious form.
The writing desk had a central position in the Grand Duke's study (room 61 in the Schwerin castle), the lectern en-suite was also in the same room. Both can be seen on several interior photographs of the room taken before 1883. The lectern is also mentioned in the Ammeublement-Plan from 1855 as a Steh-Schreibtisch von Nussbaumholz mit einer bronzenen Galerie und reich mit Messing eingelegt giving an approximate date for the present writing desk.
The locks of the writing desk bear the signature of the cabinet makers C. and A. Reinholdt. Little is known about these cabinet makers apart from the fact that they worked for the court and had a shop in Schwerin, where they built and sold furniture.
Friedrich Franz's son Heinrich Wladimir Albrecht Ernst (1876-1934) married Queen Wilhelmina in 1901. Amongst other effects from Schwerin Heinrich or Prins Hendrik as he became known in the Netherlands, took the present writing desk. From 16 December 1908 until his death Hendrik was president of the Dutch Red Cross. His office was on the Princessengracht 27 in the Hague. From 1901 until 2006 the desk remained in the Princessengracht 27. In 1917 Hendrik donated the house and its contents (including lots 668 & 669) to the Dutch Red Cross.
After her father's death Princess Juliana took over his function of president of the Dutch Red Cross (1934-1948), and in this function she can be seen seated behind her father's desk.
Cf.
A. Stüler, E. Prosch, H. Willebrand, Das Schloss zu Schwerin, Berlin, 1869
T. Dann, Das Schloss zu Schwerin, Prunkräume für die grossherzogliche Familie, Weltkunst 68, Munich, 1968, p. 2072-2074
We are grateful to Dr. Thomas Dann for his help with this catalogue entry.
After his accession to the Grand Duchy of Schwerin in 1842, Friedrich Franz II had the castle of Schwerin renovated and refurbished. The comission was first given to court architect Georg Adolph Demler, who had to give way to Friedrich August Stüler in 1851, soon afterwards Stüler also took responsibility for the refurbishment of the interior. Stüler (1800-1865), a pupil of Karl Friedrich Schinkel was a prolific architect who was mainly active in Berlin. Amongst other commissions he built the Orangery for Sanssouci, Potsdam (1851-1860) and the Neues Museum just North of Schinkel's Alte Museum on the museum island Berlin (1859). The work on Schwerin castle was extensive and involved the fusion of four buildings dating from the 15th to 17th century, creating one of the most important, and certainly one of the most imposing buildings in the Historismus style. The works were completed in 1857, and on the 26th of May Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II and his wife Grand Duchesse Augusta (1822-1862) moved into the new palace. The present writing desk, made to a monumental scale was conceived to a similar vein as the castle it was made for. With it's huge dimensions and it's exceptional quality in superb flame figured walnut veneers it was made to impress and underline the standing of its owner. Its superb craftsmanship make it a demonstration of German ébénisterie at the highest possible level in the middle of the 19th Century. Even with its huge proportions the Reinholdt brothers succeeded in crafting a piece of furniture of elegant, harmonious form.
The writing desk had a central position in the Grand Duke's study (room 61 in the Schwerin castle), the lectern en-suite was also in the same room. Both can be seen on several interior photographs of the room taken before 1883. The lectern is also mentioned in the Ammeublement-Plan from 1855 as a Steh-Schreibtisch von Nussbaumholz mit einer bronzenen Galerie und reich mit Messing eingelegt giving an approximate date for the present writing desk.
The locks of the writing desk bear the signature of the cabinet makers C. and A. Reinholdt. Little is known about these cabinet makers apart from the fact that they worked for the court and had a shop in Schwerin, where they built and sold furniture.
Friedrich Franz's son Heinrich Wladimir Albrecht Ernst (1876-1934) married Queen Wilhelmina in 1901. Amongst other effects from Schwerin Heinrich or Prins Hendrik as he became known in the Netherlands, took the present writing desk. From 16 December 1908 until his death Hendrik was president of the Dutch Red Cross. His office was on the Princessengracht 27 in the Hague. From 1901 until 2006 the desk remained in the Princessengracht 27. In 1917 Hendrik donated the house and its contents (including lots 668 & 669) to the Dutch Red Cross.
After her father's death Princess Juliana took over his function of president of the Dutch Red Cross (1934-1948), and in this function she can be seen seated behind her father's desk.
Cf.
A. Stüler, E. Prosch, H. Willebrand, Das Schloss zu Schwerin, Berlin, 1869
T. Dann, Das Schloss zu Schwerin, Prunkräume für die grossherzogliche Familie, Weltkunst 68, Munich, 1968, p. 2072-2074
We are grateful to Dr. Thomas Dann for his help with this catalogue entry.