Two-sided desk

Like other French writing desks in the Huntington collection, this one was intended to be used by two people sitting opposite each other. Both functional and stylish, it comes from the workshop of Pierre Garnier, one of the pioneers of neoclassical furniture production in 18th-century France. With its strong, rectilinear lines and shining gilt-bronze mounts inspired by ancient Greek motifs, it would have appealed to Garnier’s most forward-thinking clients.