196 - Frederick VII Display Cabinet. Denmark, circa 1860.

Frederick VII Display Cabinet. Denmark, circa 1860. Made of mahogany and mahogany palm wood. The key is included. In good overall condition, consistent with its age. Measurements: 181 x 92 x 27 cm. Provenance: Estate of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. Artistic and heritage collection originating in the legacy of Catalan painters Ramon Martí Alsina (1826–1894), a seminal figure of 19th-century Catalan Realism, and his son Ricard Martí Aguiló (1857–1935). Passed down and enriched across successive generations, the collection brings together works from the original holdings of both artists alongside acquisitions made by their descendants. Dedicated to preserving and recovering the family legacy, the descendants actively reacquired works by the painters as they entered the market, progressively expanding the collection to encompass paintings, sculptures, archaeological artifacts, and other items of artistic and historical significance. An elegant Danish display cabinet from the mid-19th century, made during the reign of Frederick VII (1848–1863), whose design combines the structural simplicity inherited from the Biedermeier style with the greater ornamental refinement characteristic of Scandinavian furniture of the period. It stands out for the harmony of its proportions, the richness of its wood surfaces, and the originality of its architectural crown molding. The front, with its strictly symmetrical composition, features two doors with glazed upper sections and lower panels with mixtilinear profiles. These panels display an attractive pattern of natural grain and knots, enhanced by the dark moldings that outline their contours. The side posts feature a gently undulating profile, while the cornice culminates in an elegant crown of curved and contrasting lines, enriched with three turned pinnacles. The contrast between the warm tones of the wood and the darker structural elements accentuates the decorative character of the piece as a whole. Mid-19th-century Danish furniture developed its own distinctive style, drawing on the influence of Central European Biedermeier and local craft traditions. During the reign of Frederick VII, the functional and balanced forms of previous decades evolved into more ornamental compositions, featuring sinuous profiles, architectural finials, and an increasingly prominent use of woods with expressive grain patterns.