Extravagant inventions: the princely furniture of the Roentgens

Uittreksel

"During the second half of the 18th century, the German workshop of Abraham and David Roentgen was among Europe's most successful cabinetmaking enterprises. The Roentgens' pieces combined innovative designs with intriguing mechanical devices that revolutionized traditional types of European furniture. An important key to their success was the pairing of the skilled craftsman Abraham with his brashly entrepreneurial son David, whose clients included Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette of France as well as Catherine the Great of Russia. This landmark publication is the first comprehensive survey, in nearly four decades, of the firm from its founding in about 1742 to its closing in the late 1790s. The Roentgen workshop perfected the practice of adapting prefabricated elements according to the specifications of the customers. Detailed discussions of these extraordinary pieces are complemented by illustrations showing them in their contemporary interiors, design drawings, portraits, and previously unpublished historical documents from the Roentgen estate. This fascinating book provides an essential contribution to the study of European furniture."--Publisher's website.

Inhoud

From Rococo playfulness to neoclassical elegance Abraham and David Roentgen as Europe's principal cabinetmakers / Wolfram Koeppe -- Abraham and David Roentgen Moravian artisan and merchant-diplomat / Bernd Willscheid -- A unique relationship Charles Alexander of Lorraine and David Roentgen / Reinier Baarsen -- David Roentgen and the court of Versailles / Bertrand Rondot -- David Roentgen under the "special protection" of the king of Prussia / Achim Stiegel -- Neuwied furniture and the Russian luxury market / Tamara Rappe -- The princely furniture of the Roentgens.