Desk of Books

The desk of books is a full size sculpture of a pedestal desk by the Venetian artist Livio De Marchi. Like the bureau du Roi it was created as a work of art and is valued as such. But like that most famous of French desks it also has everything necessary to support any form of functional desk work, including several drawers and a cabinet.

Like all of De Marchi’s “book” sculptures the desk looks as if it has been made out of giant books. The top of the desk looks like an enormous book while the pedestals which hold it up, on either side, look as if they are big books piled or set up on each other in what seems like a precarious fashion. De Marchi also made a “book chair” to go with it. Since none of these works are painted the grain of the wood in which it was sculpted is very visible, betraying the material and making a sharp contrast with the high degree of realism with which the books are sculpted. It is thus an exploration of Wood as a medium.

The desk of books is made mostly with hand tools such as chisels, like most of De Marchi’s works. It is both a piece of Wood carving and Cabinet making.