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Kneehole Desk

 (French, 1642–1732)
Dateca. 1692−95, with later alterations ca. 1770 (before 1777)
MediumOak, fir, and walnut veneered with brass, turtle shell, and ebony; gilt bronze, leather
Dimensions30 3/4 × 57 7/8 × 29 1/8 in. (78.1 × 147 × 74 cm)
Credit LineHenry Clay Frick Bequest
Accession number1918.5.101
Commentary

Originally, this desk was twenty inches longer and five inches deeper, and its eight legs were linked with stretchers (four together on each side). André-Charles Boulle invented the model in the early 1690s, producing only a few pieces with turtle shell and brass marquetry. The decorative pattern here—in turtle shell with brass back­ground—is known as contre-partie marquetry. Boulle’s furniture continued to be appreciated throughout the eighteenth century. In the early 1770s, the cabinetmaker Etienne Levasseur modified the desk for its new owner, probably the famous art dealer Claude Julliot, who owned the altered version by 1777. The alteration included cutting the marquetry panels, therefore removing an important part of Boulle’s work. However, Levasseur retained Boulle’s large gilt-bronze mounts in the shape of Indian heads.

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

Collection History

Probably C.-F. Julliot sale, Paris, November 20, 1777, Lot 713. Duveen. Frick, 1918.

Source: Furniture in The Frick Collection: Italian and French Renaissance, French 18th and 19th Centuries (Pt. I). Volume V. New York: The Frick Collection, 1992.

Not On View
Writing Table with Tendril Marquetry of Tortoiseshell
André-Charles Boulle
ca. 1710, with later alterations
Octagonal Pedestal with Tendril Marquetry of Tortoiseshell and Brass  (One of a Pair)
Attributed to André-Charles Boulle
after 1686−1715, with possible late 18th century modifications
Octagonal Pedestal with Tendril Marquetry of Tortoiseshell and Brass  (One of a Pair)
Attributed to André-Charles Boulle
after 1686−1715, with possible late 18th century modifications
Commode with Tendril Marquetry (One of a Pair)
After André-Charles Boulle
ca. 1820−50
Commode with Tendril Marquetry (One of a Pair)
After André-Charles Boulle
ca. 1820−50
Front view of Barometer Clock with Boulle marquetry consisting of inlaid tortoiseshell, pewter,…
André-Charles Boulle
ca. 1690–1700
Front view of longcase clock with marquetry of pewter and tortoiseshell and dial made of gilt b…
Attributed to André-Charles Boulle
ca. 1677
Cabinet with Pictorial and Tendril Marquetry of Tortoiseshell, Brass, Pewter, and Ebony (One of…
After André-Charles Boulle
19th century
Cabinet with Pictorial and Tendril Marquetry of Tortoiseshell, Brass, Pewter, and Ebony (One of…
After André-Charles Boulle
19th century
Commode with six drawers, gilt bronze mounts, and Trellis Parquetry
Attributed to André-Charles Boulle
ca. 1710, with later alterations
Front view of Mantel Clock, consisting of a luxurious mix of materials, including a gilt bronze…
Attributed to André-Charles Boulle
ca. 1675
Wooden writing table with gilt-bronze decoration
Jean-Henri Riesener
1785–90
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