Wall Elevation with a Secretaire, from 'Schreibtische' 1748 - 1770

Franz Xavier Habermann created this print of a wall elevation with a secretaire. The print is part of a series, titled 'Schreibtische', the German word for desks, which can be seen as reflections on the public role of art and the politics of imagery. This print, made in 18th century Germany, offers a detailed look at the fashion for interior design during the late Baroque and early Rococo periods. We see this particularly in the elaborate ornamentation, the asymmetry, and the playful themes. The print would have been circulated as a design template for the cabinet makers who fitted out the houses of the wealthy. Manuals of ornament, like this one, were important tools in the institutional development of the arts, standardizing taste and disseminating it widely. By studying such images, we can understand more about the social conditions that shaped artistic production at this time. The history of art is contingent on the social and institutional contexts in which it is made. Historians use a wide range of research resources to understand that context better.