Course: The Metropolitan Museum of Art > Unit 1
Lesson 14: Extravagant Inventions- Demonstration of David Roentgen's Automaton of Queen Marie Antoinette, The Dulcimer Player
- Demonstration of the Roentgens' Dressing Table (Poudreuse)
- Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen (demonstration)
- Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen (animation)
- Unfolding an 18th-century Game Table
Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen (demonstration)
This rolltop desk demonstrates the inventive talent of its maker. The chinoiserie marquetry scenes have a painterly effect that Roentgen alone attained, using minute pieces of naturally colored exotic woods. His mechanical ingenuity is exemplified by the workings of the lower section of the desk: when the key of the lower drawer is turned to the right, the side drawers spring open; if a button is pressed on the underside of these drawers, each swings aside to reveal three other drawers. Although Roentgen maintained his workshop at Neuwied, Germany, where this desk was made between 1776 and 1778, his French clientele became so important that he opened an outlet in Paris and joined the Parisian guild in 1780.
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- Was this made by the French? It sure looks like it.(4 votes)
- Actually, David Roentgen was German. You can learn more on the Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/roen/hd_roen.htm(6 votes)
- How is David Roentgen's last name to be pronounced?(2 votes)
- http://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/roentgen
If you scroll down to Aussprache (pronunciation) and click on the speaker, you can hear the true german pronunciation. In case you were wondering, the german verb"röntgen" means "to X-ray" and is named after Wilhelm Röntgen who first produced and detected them. David Röntgen is someone else.(5 votes)
- Why aren't rolltops used as much anymore?(2 votes)
- Just a guess, but I imagine that the craftsmanship required to produce these desks has gone the way of the dinosaurs. Mass production and automation took over for hands and skilled tradesmen and women.(1 vote)
- He made these things then sold it or were these made for order?(1 vote)
- why is there so many hidden stuff?(1 vote)
- What was the life span of David Roentgen?(1 vote)
- That and more about David Roentgen can be found here: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/roen/hd_roen.htm(1 vote)
- I really love this ancient looking things the designs are so cool though complex at times.(1 vote)
- Did anybody else freak out when they saw he had his gloves off?(1 vote)
- Is this a replica?
What's the value of this item today?(1 vote) - Where did they find the keys?(0 votes)