Writing desk with a raised back c. 1775

This writing desk with a raised back was crafted by Jean Henri Riesener, a cabinetmaker of German origin, during a period of unprecedented luxury and excess in France. Riesener became a favorite of Queen Marie Antoinette. This desk embodies the opulence of the French court prior to the Revolution. The desk is lavishly decorated with intricate marquetry, brass detailing, and gilded accents. The desk features a raised back with compartments, drawers, and a writing surface, all designed to facilitate correspondence and administrative tasks. These objects served as status symbols, reflecting the wealth and refinement of their owners. Consider the labor required to produce such a piece, the exploitation of resources, and the stark contrast between the lifestyle it enabled and the lives of the vast majority of the French population. Riesener's desk is more than a functional object; it is a relic of a bygone era, laden with the complex histories of power, privilege, and inequality.