Writing Table

Small, luxurious writing tables such as this were usually found in the private apartments of an aristocratic residence or chateau, often in a lady’s bedroom for her correspondence and reading as they do not offer much space to spread books and documents. This table lacks both the customary drawer for storing paper and the standard fitted écritoire, or writing compartment, to keep the ink and quills. It is therefore possible that it was designed to be used in a study, probably by a man, who would have also owned a large matching bureau plat (now lost) with ample drawer space and the necessary writing accessories.

Source: Vignon, Charlotte. The Frick Collection Decorative Arts Handbook. New York: The Frick Collection/Scala, 2015.

Sir John Murray Scott, Bart., Paris, 1897. Bequeathed by him to Josephine Victoria, Baroness Sackville, Paris, 1912.Jacques Seligmann, Paris, 1913. Frick, 1914 (through Elsie de Wolfe, acting as intermediary).

Source: Furniture in The Frick Collection: French 18th- & 19th-Century Furniture (Pt. 2) & Gilt Bronzes. Volume VI. New York: The Frick Collection, 1992.