David Roentgen was an 18th century cabinet maker whose cabinetry, interestingly, was considered rather so-so, for the most part; however, he was a brilliant designer and builder of mechanisms of various kinds, including the automaton featured in today's video. The figure is a representation of Marie Antoinette, and she's playing a dulcimer. This amazing piece was presented by Roentgen to King Louis XVI in 1784.
Bonus video! "Why Can't We Make New Stradivari Violins?"
I'm amazed that the Antoinette automaton survived the French Revolution. And I'm glad that it did!
ReplyDeleteAs for the Stradivari violin ... ... my maternal grandmother had a violin she inherited from her grandfather. She always insisted that it could be a Stradivari.
The Cliff Notes version of this story being ... ... no, it ain't a Stradivari. Sorry, Grandma!
But it's still in the family, as an heirloom, even though there's ZERO musical talent in this branch.