South German Renaissance Bargueño, end of the 16th century.

South German Renaissance bargueño, late 16th century.
Wood and marquetry.
Measurements: 62 x 94 x 40,5 cm.

The excellent quality of this cabinet, bearing a laborious work of marquetry, leads us to link it with the workshops of aristocratic cabinetmakers settled in Germany in the late sixteenth century. Their style places them chronologically in the early baroque or late renaissance. As with other furniture of the period, it is possible that for the architectures the cabinetmaker was inspired by the drawings and engravings of Lorenz Stöer (Nurenberg, ca. 1537-1621), a prolific engraver and painter focused on geometric forms and perspective, whose works had a significant impact on the craftsmen of the time. Thus, in his front organized in drawers, the urban landscape based on the multiplicity of perspectives combines with motifs that suggest a metaphysical aesthetic. The transfer in marquetry of the drawings of this engraver shows a great technical mastery and high artistic value.

Lorenz Stöer was a German painter and graphic artist of the 16th century. Along with Wenzel Jamnitzer and Johannes Lencker, he was one of the three Nuremberg masters who focused on perspective representation. In 1567 he published "Geometria et Perspectiva", a collection of 11 woodcuts featuring mathematical objects in fantastic ruined landscapes.His designs also served as models for inlaid furniture, such as the aforementioned one in the Victoria and Albert Museum and a cabinet preserved in the Brooklyn Museum in New York.