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Lot Essay
Nils Peter Stenström, Ämbetsmästere in 1782.
Conceived in the Swedish Louis XVI or Gustav III style of the 1780s, this elegant secretaire is embellished with distinctive pärl and romb or pearl and lozenge motifs executed in coloured paste composition, in colourful scagliola, the main characteristic of the oeuvre of Nils Peter Stenström, who worked in the workshop of Georg Haupt's in 1772-'73. Undoubtedly one of Haupt's most talented pupils, Stenstöm's style combines elements of the latter together with highly indivual decorative motifs. His most important commission is that of a monumental marquetry cabinet, for the storage of silk samples, and supplied to Queen Louisa Ulrike at Drottningholm (T. Sylvén, Mästarnas Möbler, Stockholm, 1996, pp. 338-344).
This type of neo-classical secretaire, with a long frieze drawer above a fall-front with a central motif, canted angles and a lower drawer, was developed by Haupt around 1778, and he executed several variants of this type until his death in 1784, such as the so-called Österbysekretären of 1779, which was sold in these Rooms, 8 December 1994, lot 576 (£ 375,500). Seven examples by Haupt are known to exist, which are discussed in M. Lagerquist, Georg Haupt, Ebéniste, Stockholm, 1979, pp. 141-147, 150-151, 154-155, figs. 26-30, 32, 34-35).
Conceived in the Swedish Louis XVI or Gustav III style of the 1780s, this elegant secretaire is embellished with distinctive pärl and romb or pearl and lozenge motifs executed in coloured paste composition, in colourful scagliola, the main characteristic of the oeuvre of Nils Peter Stenström, who worked in the workshop of Georg Haupt's in 1772-'73. Undoubtedly one of Haupt's most talented pupils, Stenstöm's style combines elements of the latter together with highly indivual decorative motifs. His most important commission is that of a monumental marquetry cabinet, for the storage of silk samples, and supplied to Queen Louisa Ulrike at Drottningholm (T. Sylvén, Mästarnas Möbler, Stockholm, 1996, pp. 338-344).
This type of neo-classical secretaire, with a long frieze drawer above a fall-front with a central motif, canted angles and a lower drawer, was developed by Haupt around 1778, and he executed several variants of this type until his death in 1784, such as the so-called Österbysekretären of 1779, which was sold in these Rooms, 8 December 1994, lot 576 (£ 375,500). Seven examples by Haupt are known to exist, which are discussed in M. Lagerquist, Georg Haupt, Ebéniste, Stockholm, 1979, pp. 141-147, 150-151, 154-155, figs. 26-30, 32, 34-35).