Getty Museum

Secrétaire

Date

about 1776–1777

Medium

Oak veneered with tulipwood, amaranth, holly, and ebony stringing soft-paste porcelain plaques with polychrome enamel decoration and gilding; enameled metal; gilt-bronze mounts; marble top

Culture

French

Department

Decorative Arts

Institution

Getty Museum

The upright *secrétaire* began to be a fashionable form around the mid-1700s, when letter writing became a popular pastime. The *marchands-merciers* (art dealers) quickly responded to this demand, providing many types of small tables or desks with interiors fitted for storing writing tools. The upright *secrétaire*, or *secrétaire à abattant*, has its front lower to form a writing surface, revealing drawers and pigeonholes. This form of decoration, with porcelain plaques mounted onto the wood, began around 1760 and grew rapidly in prominence within ten years. The *marchands-merciers* most frequently employed the *ébéniste* (furniture maker) Martin Carlin to mount porcelain plaques on furniture; his name became synonymous with this style. One of these dealers likely commissioned this piece, perhaps for a specific client. In addition to the porcelain plaques, the elegant gilt bronze decorative elements in the form of drapery swags and hanging oak branches also typify Carlin's work.

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