Important Winter Sale presents Gottlieb Iwersson
Bukowskis presents Gottlieb Iwersson (master in Stockholm 1778-1813) at the upcoming auction, Important Winter Sale – the live auction featuring the best by the best in art, antiques, Asian works of art, and jewellery.
The Gustavian marquetry and ormolu-mounted secretaire featured in this auction is perhaps the most ambitious marquetry piece created by Iwersson, rivalled only by his masterpiece in terms of size, decoration, and design complexity. The overall style is reminiscent of other secrétaires and commodes he signed during the 1780s (see examples in Ernst Fischer’s catalogue, numbers 9, 11, 12, and 13). Unique not only to Iwersson but to Gustavian furniture as a whole is the secrétaire’s large-scale figurative marquetry decoration, a technique he also employed in his masterpiece. The depiction of three Greek gods, rendered with exquisite engraving, demonstrates that Gottlieb Iwersson rivalled Haupt’s skill in engraving marquetry. As Torsten Sylvén notes, Iwersson’s engraved, stylised floral rosettes are “small works of art,” as seen in the grille patterns of this secrétaire. With its unusually rich and varied selection of gilded mounts, this piece (together with its "twin" at the Nordic Museum, dated 1781) represents the pinnacle of Gottlieb Iwersson’s Gustavian production.
The veined white marble top with outset corners, above a frieze drawer mounted with Vitruvian scrolls flanked by lion masks, the fall front faced with a marquetry design of Athena within a laurel wreath and flanked by latticework reserves, opening to an interior of drawers, over two cupboard doors with designs of Apollo and Artemis, a frieze drawer above a secondary fall front with a design of Eros and Aphrodite. Length 103, width 42, height 134 cm. Keys included.
Gottlieb Iwersson was born in Malmö in 1750. He was the second son of Olof Iwersson, alderman of Malmö’s Guild of Carpenters. His elder brother, Johannes, eventually became a master craftsman in Malmö. Gottlieb became a journeyman in 1769 after apprenticing under his father and sought to become a master in 1774. When the waiting period proved too long, Iwersson moved to Stockholm and, around 1775, became a journeyman under Nils Dahlin, who was also from Skåne. Impatient to achieve the status of master, Gottlieb Iwersson turned directly to King Gustav III in 1778 with a design for a secrétaire. The king approved the design, and the guild found itself unable to contradict the royal will. That same year, Iwersson was appointed both a master craftsman and court cabinetmaker. His masterpiece, now housed at Stockholm Palace, is a secrétaire featuring the large coat of arms of Sweden. It was the first writing desk to be approved since Georg Haupt’s writing desk. Iwersson’s marquetry-decorated furniture includes design elements such as neoclassical portrait medallions, geometric banding, and shading techniques closely linked to Georg Haupt’s repertoire. However, in his stylistic approach, Iwersson aimed for greater boldness and architectural weight, a characteristic evident even in his masterpiece.
More about the Secrétaire
The secrétaire will be sold at Important Winter Sale
Viewing December 5 – 10, Berzelii Park 1, Stockholm
Open weekdays 11–18, weekends 11–16 CET
Live auction December 11 – 13, Arsenalsgatan 2, Stockholm
Read more about Important Winter Sale
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