Secrets of an 18th-century secrétaire
Unlock an era of quills and ink
Secrétaire, about 1770, Attributed to Jean-François Leleu. Oak veneered with amaranth, bloodwood, tulipwood, and holly; gilt-bronze mounts; steel fittings, breche d'Alep top, 41 7/8 × 47 ¼. Getty Museum, 82.DA.81
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If you admire but often walk past the furniture in the Getty Center’s South Pavilion, you might be surprised to learn how dynamic the pieces are. Getty conservator of decorative arts and sculpture Arlen Heginbotham has his favorites; one is Jean-François Leleu’s secrétaire.
In the second season of Getty’s Close Looking video series, Getty curators explore the details of artworks they cherish. For this installment, Heginbotham demonstrates the manifold uses of Leleu’s secrétaire, like its pop-out writing desk. He also explains how Leleu used exotic materials from all over the world, like a marble top from North Africa and tulipwood from Central America. “Whoever owned this piece of furniture would have enjoyed demonstrating and delighting his friends,” says Heginbotham.
Learn more by watching the video below!
Get an insider’s view of more works of art in Getty’s Close Looking series, in which art experts and enthusiasts around Getty share some of their favorite works of art.
