Bookcase

Martin Carlin

ca. 1785 · Tulipwood and satiné on oak; glass, and gilt-bronze mounts · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Carlin worked primarily for marchand-merciers, the decorator-dealers who guided Parisian fashion, and he knew well how to finesse elegance. Given the task of constructing a bookcase of sizable mass, he created an effect of airy lightness by the use of delicate marquetry, glittering gilt-bronze and, above all, skillful design.

Artist

Martin Carlin

Date

ca. 1785

Medium

Tulipwood and satiné on oak; glass, and gilt-bronze mounts

Culture

French, Paris

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Bequest of Mary Hayward Weir, 1968