THE MECKLENBURG SCHWERIN LIBRARY DESK: A GILT-BRASS MOUNTED & INLAID FIGURED WALNUT DESK FOR THE SCHWERIN CASTLE MADE BY THE COURT CABINETMAKERS GEBRÜDER REINHOLDT

June 10 2009, 3:36pm

Schwerin. Circa 1855. The Mecklenburg-Schwerin library desk undoubtedly ranks as one of the finest masterpieces in the canon of 19th-century European furniture, both on a level of quality and design. Although monumental in scale, the desk, due to its superbly calculated proportions and the extensive use of brass inlay which serves to alleviate the mass of the piece, retains a poise and elegance which strongly suggests that an architect of great gift, rather than a cabinetmaker, was responsible for its highly accomplished design. The desk, originally in the study of the Archduke at Schwerin Castle, was specially constructed for that space in the mid-19th century. According to the Castle’s Ammeublement-Plan, these pieces were in existence in 1855, providing evidence of the approximate date of their construction. The desk was built by the court cabinetmakers, the brothers C. and A. Reinholdt of Schwerin, whose signature appears on the locks.