Abraham and David Roentgen, 18th century furniture designers

Many modern furniture fans would not have known the name Roentgen, had it not been for New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. 60 gorgeous examples of Roentgens luxury furniture were lent from Eur­opean collections, and were complemented by paintings that depicted these master-pieces in contemporary interiors. And shown at the Extravagant Inventions – The Princely Furniture of the Roentgens exhibition at the Metropolitan (Oct 2012-Jan 2013). I recommend and thank the Extravagant Inventions catalogue, written by Wolfram Koeppe and published by Yale University Press in 2012.

German Abraham Roentgen (1711–1793) was born in Mülheim am Rhein where he learned cabinet-making from his father. When he finished his apprenticeship, young Abraham travelled to Den Haag, Rotterdam and Amsterdam, then London, learning from famous Dutch and English cabinet makers until 1738.

Back in Germany Abraham became one of Eur­ope’s most famous furniture makers, noted for his special marquetry work and for his dazzling mechanical fittings. Abraham’s most famous writing desk, made in the 1758-62 era for Count Walderdorff, displayed pictorial marquetry of pastoral landscapes and intricate architectural interiors with ingenious concealed drawers. The desk’s hidden drawers include a secret niche in the tabernacle for religious treasures, and a foldout prayer stool.

Writing desk by Abraham Roentgen
with all the concealed sections opened.

1758-65
Normally in the Rijksmuseum

Abraham Roentgen retired in 1772, lived a long life and died in Saxony in 1793 aged 82.

Abraham’s son David Roentgen (1743-1807) learned his trade in his father's work­shop. When Abraham retired in 1772, son David took over the business and established his own reputation. There were two in­n­ovations that came with the younger generation – firstly David opened up the partnership to the clockmaker Peter Kintzing (1745–1816). Second­ly tastes changed with time – whereas Abraham had worked in the more complex late baroque taste, son David found neo-classicism to be back in favour.

David’s neo-classicism was well timed. Noone loved this German cabinet-maker more than Marie-Antoinette (French queen 1774-92). A record of his first appearance in France was August 1774, and as Paris was in any case the style centre of Europe, the queen quickly appointed him her ébéniste mechanicien i.e making furniture in which mechanical devices played a great part. And in time the Roen­­t­gens worked for many other wealthy and noble clients, including Cath­erine the Great of Russia (Empress from 1762-96), King Louis XVI of France (ruled from 1774-92) and King Frederick William II of Prus­sia (King from 1786 on).

Berlin secretary cabinet and clock, by David Roentgen
1778-9

Normally in the Kunstgewerbemuseum, Berlin

Examine the Berlin secretary cabinet, made in 1778-9. A writing cabinet crowned with a chiming clock, it featured finely designed marquetry panels and el­ab­orate mechanisms that seemed to open doors and drawers automatically. Owned by King Frederick William II, the Berlin cabinet was noted for its ornate decoration, mechanical complexity and monumentality. Clearly the Roentgens’ super crafts­manship and innovative designs, combined with intriguing mechanical devices, greatly impacted on late C18th furniture.

Roentgen Jnr travelled about Europe accompanied by furniture vans, servicing his shops in Berlin and Saint Petersburg, and visiting his aristocratic customers in various countries. But the French Revol­ut­ion ruined the career of all luxury good makers in France. In 1793 the Revolutionary government, regarded him as an émigré and seized the contents of his showrooms and his personal belongings. After that date, he may not have visited Paris again. In any case, he closed his workshops because of war; prosperity never returned and David Roentgen died in 1807.