Slant-Front Desk
c. 1720
Medium
Marquetry with maple, amaranth, mahogany, and walnut on spruce and oak
Dimensions
90.2 × 84.5 × 46.1 cm (35 1/2 × 33 1/4 × 18 1/8 in.)
Classification
desk
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
187069
Art Historical Context
**Slant-Front Desk Heinrich Ludwig Rohde (. 1720)** Crafted around 1720 by German cabinetmaker Heinrich Ludwig Rohde this slant-front desk exemplifies the exquisite furniture of early 18th-century. Measuring 90.2 × 84.5 × 46.1 cm, it served as both a practical writing station and a status symbol for the educated elite. The slant-front design, hinged to reveal compartments for papers and inks, reflects the rising demand for versatile home offices amid growing literacy and commerce during the late Baroque era. Rohde's mastery shines in the marquetry technique—a labor-intensive process of cutti...