Description
This elegant 18th-century Venetian secrétaire exemplifies the refined artistry of lacca povera, a decorative technique that flourished in Venice as a more accessible alternative to costly imported lacquer.
The piece has a classic slant-front design, with a fall-front writing surface above a series of serpentine drawers, providing both beauty and functionality.
The surface is richly decorated with hand-colored prints applied and sealed under varnish, depicting neoclassical architectural motifs, floral garlands, scrollwork, and whimsical pastoral scenes. Time and age have given the painted and printed surfaces a beautifully softened patina.
The colors—soft blues, faded reds, and gentle greens—create a light, airy aesthetic typical of Venetian Rococo furniture.
The drawers retain their original iron handles, and the shaped apron and cabriole influences in the base give the piece a graceful profile.
Overall, this secrétaire captures the Venetian taste for playful elegance, merging functionality with decorative artistry. It would have served as both a writing desk and a statement of refinement in an 18th-century interior.
