{"id":5856,"date":"2026-04-03T09:37:30","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T07:37:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/galerieleage.com\/?post_type=newsletter&p=5856"},"modified":"2026-04-03T09:37:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T07:37:32","slug":"a-roll-top-desk-by-jean-henri-riesener","status":"publish","type":"newsletter","link":"https:\/\/galerieleage.com\/en\/newsletter\/a-roll-top-desk-by-jean-henri-riesener\/","title":{"rendered":"A ROLL-TOP DESK BY JEAN-HENRI RIESENER"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

France, circa 1775\u20131785
Stamped J. H. RIESENER<\/em>
Jean-Henri Riesener (1734\u22121806)<\/strong>
Tulipwood, amaranth, satinwood, sycamore, ebony, and holly
Chased and gilt bronze<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Provenance:<\/strong>
-  Former Stephens and Yolande Marie-Louise Lyne Stephens collection at Lynford
-  Hall, Norfolk
-  Former Ludwig Neumann collection at 11 Grosvenor Square, London
-  Former collection of Henry Lascelles, 6th<\/sup> Earl of Harewood and Prince Royal, at
-  Chesterfield House, London
-  Former collection of Ivor Guest, 2nd<\/sup> Viscount Wimborne, and his descendants<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Height: 120 cm \u2013 48 inches
Width: 134 cm \u2013 53 inches
Depth: 76 cm \u2013 30 inches<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A major work by one of the greatest cabinetmakers of the late 18th<\/sup> century, Jean-Henri Riesener, this desk revisits the model developed by Jean-Fran\u00e7ois \u0152ben in the early 1760s, presenting a particularly refined Neoclassical version. Its presence in prestigious English collections as early as the 19th<\/sup> century attests to the strong interest of British collectors of that period in French furniture from the Ancien R\u00e9gime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A ROLL-TOP DESK<\/strong>
Writing furniture\u2014writing tables, desks, and secretaries\u2014was commonly found in aristocratic interiors of the 18th<\/sup> century. Whether in the bedroom, salon, or private cabinet, these pieces allowed for writing a quick note, maintaining correspondence, or working alone or with others.
In the early 1760s, the cabinetmaker and mechanic to the King Jean-Fran\u00e7ois \u0152ben (1721\u20131763) developed a new type of writing furniture: the roll-top desk. A semi-cylindrical tambour made of wooden slats encloses the writing surface, while an ingenious locking system secures the exterior drawers. With this model, \u0152ben addressed his clientele\u2019s desire for sophistication, privacy, and functionality. Leather-lined writing surfaces slide out to provide additional workspace, while hidden drawers and compartments could be discreetly concealed within the structure, known only to their owner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The roll-top desk created for the private cabinet of King Louis XV at Versailles stands as the most emblematic example of \u0152ben\u2019s work (Fig. 1<\/strong>).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Conceived in 1760, this extraordinarily complex piece showcases his full mastery as a cabinetmaker, marquetry specialist, and mechanic. He further enriched it with finely sculpted gilt-bronze mounts, enhancing its regal character. \u0152ben entrusted part of its execution to his pupil Jean-Henri Riesener, who, following his master\u2019s death in 1763, took over the project and completed this masterpiece in 1769.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fig. 1 \u2014 <\/strong>Jean-Fran\u00e7ois \u0152ben (cabinetmaking), Jean-Henri Riesener (cabinemaking), Jean-Claude Duplessis (bronze maker), King Louis XV roll-top desk<\/em>, 1760\u20131769, Versailles, Ch\u00e2teaux de Versailles et de Trianon (inv. OA 5444)
\u00a9 RMN-GP (Ch\u00e2teau de Versailles) \/ \u00a9 Mathieu Rabeau<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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A MODEL BY JEAN-HENRI RIESENER<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The delivery of this desk to Versailles proved decisive for Riesener\u2019s career. Received as a Master in 1768, he had the previous year married Fran\u00e7oise-Marguerite Vandercruse (1731\u20131775), \u0152ben\u2019s widow, thereby officially taking over the workshop. In 1774, Pierre-Elisabeth de Fontanieu (1731\u20131784), Intendant of the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne, appointed him to succeed Gilles Joubert (1689\u20131775) as official cabinetmaker. Riesener subsequently fulfilled commissions for the king and the royal family, producing sumptuous furnishings for their residences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fig. 2 \u2014 <\/strong>Jean-Henri Riesener (cabinetmaking), Jean-Fran\u00e7ois \u0152ben (after), Roll-top desk of the Comte d\u2019Orsay<\/em>, circa 1700, London, Wallace Collection (inv. F102), former collection of William Beckford, then John Farquhar, then Richard Seymour-Conway
\u00a9 The Wallace Collection<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1784, Guillaume Benneman (1750\u20131811) replaced him at the Garde-Meuble. Nevertheless, Riesener retained the favor of Queen Marie-Antoinette and continued to create works of exceptional richness for her.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fig. 3 -<\/strong> Jean-Henri Riesener (cabinetmaking attributed to), Roll-top desk, probably delivered to Madame Ad\u00e9la\u00efde<\/em>, circa 1775, Waddesdon Manor, National Trust (inv. WM 2544), former collection of Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also maintained a prestigious private clientele among the highest ranks of the aristocracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After completing the Versailles desk, Riesener produced additional roll-top desks, likely capitalizing on the former\u2019s fame. For the Comte d\u2019Orsay, he created a nearly identical version, maintaining the overall form while varying the gilt-bronze mounts and marquetry decoration (Fig. 2<\/strong>). He later developed smaller, more practical and comfortable versions. The Comte d\u2019Artois and Madame Ad\u00e9la\u00efde received such pieces, in which the emerging Neoclassical style becomes apparent (Fig. 3<\/strong>).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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A DISTINGUISHED SERIES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among these works, a group of six nearly identical roll-top desks can be identified, now preserved at the National Gallery of Art, Washington (Fig. 4<\/strong>), the H\u00f4tel de Soubise in Paris, in a private collection, formerly at Mentmore Towers, at Woburn Abbey in England, and at the Mus\u00e9e du Louvre (Fig. 6<\/strong>). The sixth example is the one presented here by the gallery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fig. 4 -<\/strong> Jean-Henri Riesener (cabinetmaking), Roll-top desk<\/em>, circa 1775\u20131785, Washington, National Gallery (inv. 1942.9.410)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In each case, Riesener retained the overall form, reflecting a refined Transitional style, as well as the arrangement of drawers and gilt-bronze mounts. Variations appear in the details of the mounts, the presence of a superstructure, or the placement of inkwells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fig. 5 -<\/strong> Jean-Henri Riesener, Roll-top desk<\/em>, open, circa 1775\u20131785, Galerie L\u00e9age<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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This particular example stands out for its two sliding side shelves, each fitted with an inkwell. An adjustable writing surface is concealed within the central drawer of the superstructure, itself supplemented by a writing compartment in the adjacent drawer. It is also the only example to feature a circular motif on the side panels, whose elegant molding perfectly complements the shape of the legs (Fig. 5<\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of remarkable quality, these desks were produced for the cabinetmaker\u2019s elite clientele. The desk now at Woburn Abbey was delivered in 1774 to the Garde-Meuble for Randon de La Tour, then Controller General of the household of the Comtesse de Provence. The example in the Louvre was delivered in 1784 for the use of Marc-Antoine Thierry de Ville d\u2019Avray, before being installed two years later in the cabinet of the Comte de Provence at the Ch\u00e2teau de Fontainebleau (Fig. 6<\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Riesener, Jean-Henri, Mus\u00e9e du Louvre, D\u00e9partement des Objets d\u2019art du Moyen Age, de la Renaissance et des temps modernes, OA 5160 \u2014 https:\/\/collections.louvre.fr\/ark:\/53355\/cl010098568 \u2014 https:\/\/collections.louvre.fr\/CGU<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fig. 6 -<\/strong> Jean-Henri Riesener (cabinetmaking), Roll-top desk, delivered at the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne for Marc-Antoine Thierry de Ville d\u2019Avray in 1784, then placed in the Cabinet int\u00e9rieur of the Comte de Provence at Fontainebleau in 1785<\/em>, 1784, Paris, Mus\u00e9e du Louvre (inv. OA 5160)
\u00a9 2020 GrandPalaisRmn (mus\u00e9e du Louvre) \/ St\u00e9phane Mar\u00e9challe<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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ENGLISH COLLECTORS OF FRENCH FURNITURE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the French Revolution, English collectors sought in French furniture both the excellence of Ancien R\u00e9gime craftsmanship and a form of nostalgia for that period. The revolutionary sales of the 1790s brought a significant number of rare pieces onto the market, which dealers and collectors across Europe eagerly acquired. In the early 19th<\/sup> century, English collectors regularly traveled to Paris to purchase masterpieces from the previous century, often maintaining residences there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the 1820s onward, Riesener\u2019s works were particularly sought after in England. Alongside Andr\u00e9-Charles Boulle, he became one of the emblematic artisans of 18th<\/sup>-century France, and his works entered major collections. King George IV, William Beckford, George Watson Taylor, and the Rothschild family all owned pieces of remarkable provenance, some of which are now held at the Wallace Collection, Waddesdon Manor, or within the Royal Collection (Fig. 7<\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fig. 7 \u2014 <\/strong>Jean-Henri Riesener (cabinetmaking attributed to), Chest of drawers, delivered for Louis XVI in 1774 at Versailles<\/em>, 1774, Royal Collection Trust (inv. RCIN 21213), sold to Jean-Georges Treuttel in 1794, then  George Watson Taylor collection, then acquired by Fogg for George IV
\u00a9 Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2026 | Royal Collection Trust<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Riesener\u2019s name became so renowned that it evolved into more than an attribution\u2014it became a descriptive term in auction catalogs for floral marquetry furniture or pieces adorned with particularly rich gilt-bronze mounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three of the pieces from the studied group were notably held in English collections. This roll-top desk was owned by Stephens (1801\u20131860) and Yolande Lyne Stephens (1812\u20131894) at Lynford Hall in Norfolk. Among the wealthiest collectors of their time, they assembled an important collection of French art across their various properties, including the H\u00f4tel de La Vaupali\u00e8re on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honor\u00e9 in Paris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fig. 8 -<\/strong> The roll-top desk in the Drawing room at Chesterfield House, London, 1931<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1894, the desk was acquired by Ludwig Neumann (1859\u20131934), and in 1919 it was recorded at Chesterfield House in the collection of Princess Mary and her husband George Lascelles, 6th<\/sup> Earl of Harewood (1882\u20131947) (Fig. 8<\/strong>). In 1950, it changed hands once again, entering the collection of Ivor Guest, 2nd<\/sup> Viscount Wimborne (1903\u20131967), thus completing its distinguished journey through major English collections.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Click here to discover the desk<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bibliographie<\/strong>
Jacques Charles, De Versailles \u00e0 Paris, Le Destin des Collections Royales<\/em>, Paris, 1989
Helen Jacobsen, Bird Rufus, Jackson Mia, Jean-Henri Riesener. Cabinetmaker to Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette<\/em>, Londres, Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd, 2020.
H. Granville Fell, \u00ab Chesterfield House, Mayfair \u00bb, Apollo<\/em>, vol. 15, mai 1932
Alexandre Prad\u00e8re, Les \u00e9b\u00e9nistes fran\u00e7ais de Louis XIV \u00e0 la R\u00e9volution<\/em>, Paris, \u00c9ditions du Ch\u00eane, 1992.
Pierre Verlet, Le mobilier royal fran\u00e7ais<\/em>, Paris, Picard, 1992<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A major work by one of the greatest cabinetmakers of the late 18th<\/sup> century, Jean-Henri Riesener, this desk revisits the model developed by Jean-Fran\u00e7ois \u0152ben in the early 1760s, presenting a particularly refined Neoclassical version. Its presence in prestigious English collections as early as the 19th<\/sup> century attests to the strong interest of British collectors of that period in French furniture from the Ancien R\u00e9gime.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5857,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","inline_featured_image":false,"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5856","newsletter","type-newsletter","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"url_news1":{"simple_value_formatted":"","value_formatted":"","value":"","field":{"ID":438,"key":"field_64c00914a1189","label":"URL","name":"url_news1","aria-label":"","prefix":"acf","type":"url","value":null,"menu_order":0,"instructions":"","required":0,"id":"","class":"","conditional_logic":0,"parent":437,"wrapper":{"width":"","class":"","id":""},"only_front":0,"frontend_admin_display_mode":"edit","no_values_message":"","wp-typography":"none","default_value":"","placeholder":"","wpml_cf_preferences":1,"_name":"url_news1","_valid":1}}},"mcc_id":null,"mcc_type":null,"mcc_status":null,"mcc_create_time":null,"mcc_send_time":null,"mcc_emails_sent":null,"mcc_delivery_status":null,"mcc_content_type":null,"mcc_archive_url":null,"mcc_long_archive_url":null,"mcc_plain_text":null,"mcc_content_html":null,"mcc_recipients":null,"mcc_list_id":null,"mcc_list_name":null,"mcc_segment_text":null,"mcc_recipient_count":null,"mcc_settings":null,"mcc_tracking":null,"mcc_social_card":null,"mcc_report_summary":null,"mcc___links":null,"mcc__edit_lock":null,"mcc__edit_last":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/galerieleage.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newsletter\/5856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/galerieleage.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newsletter"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/galerieleage.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/newsletter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/galerieleage.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/galerieleage.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5856"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/galerieleage.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newsletter\/5856\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5885,"href":"https:\/\/galerieleage.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newsletter\/5856\/revisions\/5885"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/galerieleage.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5857"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/galerieleage.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/galerieleage.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/galerieleage.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}