Writing Desk
Jacques Dubois (born France, 1694–1763)
- Maker
- Jacques Dubois (born France, 1694–1763)
- Date
- c. 1745–49
- Medium
- Oak, pine, mahogany, kingwood, gesso, paint, gilding, varnish, gilded bronze, leather, pewter, and iron
- Dimensions
- 93.4 × 81.3 × 46.4 cm (36 3/4 × 32 × 18 1/4 in.)
- Form
- Desk
- Origin
- France
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Accession
- 1973.385
- Credit line
- Purchased with funds provided by Elizabeth R. Vaughan and Mrs. Henry C. Wood; gift of Mrs. Potter Palmer; Robert Allerton, Robert Allerton Surplus, Mary L. Stevenson, Wirt D. Walker, Decorative Arts Purchase, and other funds
Letter writing became a fashionable accomplishment among the aristocratic and professional classes during the 1700s, creating a demand for refined and specialized accessories like this portable writing desk. The desk's surface is decorated to mimic Asian lacquer, a highly labor-intensive finish made from multiple layers of tree resin. These writing desks served not only as practical tools but also as fashionable symbols of refinement and cultured taste.
