When watching photos of one of the last posts on this blog, I have been disturbed by one empty space along a wall of the Golden Cabinet (Duchess's Apartments). On the picture above, you can see that the panel on the right side of the mirror is cut to lead way to an other room. So, of course, nothing should stand there in the way. But on the opposite side, underneath the two paintings, you definitely had space for something. After some thinking and wondering, I came to the conclusion that a small secrétaire à abattant, (or fall front desk) would be ideal to fill the space. There is another door on the secrétaire's left, so the piece of furniture had to have a small enough depth not to be an obstacle when entering and exiting the room.
The fall front desk I found, in pure Louis XVI style, has got the ideal size. It is made of mahogany wood, has got a marble top and displays some gilded bronze elements, perfectly matching the furniture already in place. It is a welcome detail in the room's decoration but not meant to be the center of attention (this role will be played by a large Riesener commode, now still in our workshops, that will furnish the back wall, where the transparent screen now stands).
If you think you might not be allowed to see the real thing in Versailles (the Golden Cabinet is a private room of the Duchess, accessible by invitation only), here are at last some close up pictures of the secrétaire.
A small Louis XVI Fall Front Desk in the Duchess's Golden Cabinet.
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