Georgian Mahogany Desk Says Knee - Late Eighteenth Century

"Georgian Mahogany Desk Says Knee - Late Eighteenth Century"
Small Georgian mahogany knee-hole desk with blue leather zippered writing surface.
It features a single full-width center drawer topped with a centrally hinged cupboard door in the knee hole, flanked on either side by three graduated drawers on raised pedestals revealing carved console-like legs or "legs". hooks ". Each drawer has a brass swivel handle and a brass keyhole with key.
The brass hardware is original.

Period: Late 18th century
Dimensions: Height: 81cm x Length: 103cm x Depth: 58cm

The 18th century was the great period of splendor for English furniture, the rich and cultured aristocracy of the Grand Tour built villas surrounded by superb gardens, acquired art collections and wanted brand new furniture that followed the fashions of the time.

The cabinetmakers thus follow the aesthetic evolutions, while maintaining a very high level of execution and a refinement which contribute to the fame of the English furniture of the 18th century, in particular at the level of the work on the mahogany, of which the two greatest representatives are Thomas Chippendale (1718-1779) and Georges Hepplewhite (1727-1786), recognized thanks to the distribution of their model books.

The Georgian style is a term used to designate the period covering the reigns of four sovereigns named George, for nearly a century.

During this period, several styles follow one another. The first, the "early Georgian", between 1714 and 1760, establishes the main characteristics of furniture in the 18th century.

One of the great revolutions is thus the advent of mahogany, which replaced walnut around 1720 because of the French embargo on the export of walnut to England.

This change influences the design and decoration of the furniture and causes the abandonment of marquetry and sculpted decorations: preference is given to the addition of silver or gold, which combine better with mahogany. The pieces also become lighter and more open, because the wood is very strong.

This period is that of the intimate alliance between interior decor and overall interior furnishings, of which the architect William Kent is the greatest representative in the first half of the century.

Ref: 72P3J57ZGB