Neoclassical secretary

This secretary was made in Northern England’s Lancashire region. It is in the Neoclassical style, which corresponds to the accession to the throne of George III (1760-1811). Furniture of this period exhibits a great emphasis on form: straight lines replaced the curves and flounces of Rococo furniture. Ornamentation is more strictly contained within the shape of the piece, featuring dentil moldings, meanders, and columns. These features characteristic of the Neoclassical period of the late eighteenth century are evident in the decoration on this secretary. The Doric columns, egg & dart as well as dentil moldings, and acanthus leaf centered in the broken arch pediment are some of the many details representative of the time this desk was constructed. Other details reference architectural elements:a raised panel locking door to a small compartment flanked by pilasters, incised brickwork patterning that accents the “loggia” fronting the row of cubbies.