Take a secret(aire) peek into one of Queen Marie-Antoinette's most prized possessions! Called a secretaire and used as a writing desk, this elaborate piece of furniture was created by one of the eighteenth century’s finest French cabinetmakers, Jean-Henri Riesener. It was conceived to be comparable in quality with the paintings and porcelain that would have been displayed around it. Explore this object and others like it at the link in bio. — Jean-Henri Riesener (German, 1734–1806), Secretaire, ca. 1780 and 1790. Veneered oak, gilt bronze, leather, and marble, 56 3/8 x 45 1/2 x 17 1/4 in. (143.2 x 115.6 x 43.8 cm). The Frick Collection, New York