Writing Desk
Designer
Charles Rohlfs
(American, 1853 - 1936)
Manufacturer
Workshop of Charles Rohlfs
(American, founded 1897)
Dateca. 1900
MediumWhite oak and iron
DimensionsOverall: 56 1/4 × 25 1/4 × 23 1/2 inches (142.88 × 64.14 × 59.69 cm)
Credit LinePurchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust through exchange of the gifts of Virginia Jones Mullin, Mrs. Chauncey McCormick, Mrs. Richard Ely Danielson, Earle W. Grant, and the gifts and bequest of Mrs. Inez Grant Parker; and other Trust properties
Object number94-12
MarkingsBranded into the proper right side of the interior of the desk: "R" enclosed within a frame saw
On View
On viewGallery Location
- 217
Collections
DescriptionDesk with rectangular base and triangular drop front writing cabinet. Sides of writing cabinet terminate in pierced, flame-like finials. Three sides of base decorated with abstract, pierced patterns. Fourth side bears four drawers with wooden pulls.Gallery LabelAn 1899 article in House Beautiful magazine described this desk as "a very marvel of complexity, with endless delights in the way of doors, pigeon-holes, shelves, and drawers." While the desk's quartersawn oak and heavy proportions reflect Charles Rohlfs' embrace of the ideals of the American Arts and Crafts Movement, his interest in Art Nouveau is revealed in the organic nature of the carved decoration and twisting finials. The dark finish and pierced cutouts create a fanciful, medieval quality. A devoted craftsman, Rohlfs designed the piece for maximum functionality with a drop-front writing surface, bookstand, drawers and shelves.
Unknown Private Collection, Buffalo, New York;
With David Rudd, Dalton’s American Decorative Arts, Syracuse, New York by 1994;
Purchased from David Rudd by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 1994.
Information about a particular artwork or image, including provenance information,
is based upon historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete.
Research on artwork and images is an ongoing process, and the information about a
particular artwork or image may not reflect the most current information available to the Museum.
If you notice a mistake or have additional information about a particular artwork or image,
please e-mail provenance@nelson-atkins.org.
