Women's desk

The ladies' writing desk, known as 'bonheur-du-jour' i.e., 'daytime delight' in French, is one of the most interesting pieces in the Łańcut castle furniture collection. This type of tall-legged desk appeared in France in the middle of the 18th century and was extraordinarily successful. Initially, the top of the desk was rectangular with a drawer under it. Below the drawer was a bottom shelf that connected the legs. A kind of cabinet with numerous compartments, drawers, and shelves with doors was placed at the back of the desktop. Befitting the Rococo era, this small piece of furniture was very ornate, veneered with various types of wood arranged in exquisite inlays complemented by gilded bronze castings. Coveted by fashionable ladies, a desk like this was a piece of furniture often ordered from ébénistes. One of them in particular, named Charles Topino, introduced the novel 'bonheur-du-jour' with an oval top, an arch-shaped shelf and a cabinet with a semi-oval projection. Oval desks became the trademark of Charles Topino - an ingenious designer and maker of small, sophisticated forms of furniture. Since he received his master craftsman certification in 1773, Topino ran a workshop in Paris, making imaginatively shaped and decorated - and therefore easily recognisable - furniture typical for the transition period between Rococo and Classicism, as well as typically Classicist furniture in the Louis XVI style. The events of the French Revolution and incompetent bookkeeping forced the master craftsman to close his workshop in 1789. Charles Topino left behind exceptionally interesting and valued products, which he did not always sign. However, his particular personal style makes it possible to recognise his works with nearly complete certainty. The presented 'bonheur-du-jour' desk is probably one of them, too. Teresa Bagińska-Żurawska https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9243-3967