The Lichtenberg Secretaire

A magnificent piece of furniture from Bidstrup manor

The secretaire is from Bidstrup Manor at Langå. In the mid-18th century, the landed merchant Gehrt de Lichtenberg ordered the desk in connection with a refurbishing of the manor.

Ornamentation

The secretaire, attributed to the Danish court furniture maker Mathias Ortmann, has a height of almost 3.5 meters and is made of walnut with gilded details and gilded bronze fittings.

The top section has the Lichtenberg arms at its centre. Hidden behind the two mirrored doors are paintings of the Lichtenberg estate, Engelsholm, and the Sorø Academy.

Set in the pillars are miniature portraits of Lichtenberg and his wife, Bodil Hofgaard underneath their monograms. The gilded figures are the roman gods Neptune and Ceres, or Fortuna (above), and Jupiter and Juno (below).