Rare 18th-Century French Furniture Piece Resides at Met Museum

Gilles Joubert's writing desk, made for King Louis XV, is considered one of the finest examples of French 18th-century furniture in America.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City houses a rare and exquisite 1759 writing desk (bureau plat) made by renowned French cabinetmaker Gilles Joubert for King Louis XV. Experts consider it one of the finest and most important pieces of 18th-century French furniture in the United States. The desk, with its vibrant red lacquer and gold surface decoration, evokes an Asian aesthetic that was highly fashionable in 18th-century France.

Why it matters

The Joubert writing desk is a remarkable example of the skill and artistry of French furniture-making during the reign of King Louis XV. Its presence in the Met's collection highlights the museum's world-class holdings of 17th and 18th-century French decorative arts, which were significantly bolstered by a major donation from art patrons Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wrightsman.

The details

The rectangular writing table was originally commissioned for Louis XV's Cabinet Intérieur, a small, sumptuous study where the king conducted daily business. The desk remained in the Cabinet Intérieur for the rest of Louis XV's reign and into that of his grandson, Louis XVI. In 1786, it was replaced by a new marquetry writing table made by ébéniste Guillaume Benneman. The Joubert desk then passed into the collection of the king's brother, the comte de Provence, who later became Louis XVIII. It remained at Versailles until the French Revolution, when it was sold off with other confiscated royal property.

  • The writing desk was delivered to Versailles on December 29, 1759.
  • In 1786, the desk was replaced in the Cabinet Intérieur by a new marquetry writing table made by Guillaume Benneman.
  • During the French Revolution from 1793 to 1794, the Joubert desk was sold off with other confiscated royal property.

The players

Gilles Joubert

A renowned French cabinetmaker who supplied furniture to the French royal household for over 25 years, delivering more than 4,000 items. In 1763, he was appointed 'ébéniste du roi' (cabinetmaker to the king).

King Louis XV

The French monarch who reigned from 1710 to 1774, for whom Joubert created the writing desk that is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection.

King Louis XVI

The French monarch who succeeded his grandfather, Louis XV, and for whom the Joubert desk remained in the Cabinet Intérieur until it was replaced in 1786.

Louis XVIII

The brother of King Louis XVI, who later became king himself and to whom the Joubert desk passed after the French Revolution.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

The renowned art museum in New York City that houses the Joubert writing desk, which it acquired as a gift from art patrons Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wrightsman in 1973.

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The takeaway

The Joubert writing desk is a remarkable testament to the skill and artistry of French furniture-making during the 18th century, and its presence in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection underscores the institution's world-class holdings of French decorative arts from this period.