Louis-Jean-Auguste ('Louis') Majorelle was born in 1859, the son of a furniture and ceramics manufacturer. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts de Nancy and, in 1877, at the École des Beaux-Arts de Paris. Upon his father's death in 1879, he abandoned his studies to continue the family business with his brother Jules. After initially producing Rococo-style furniture, he shifted to Art Nouveau designs from 1890 onward, influenced by the naturalism of Emile Gallé. Majorelle would become one of the most famous designers of Art Nouveau furniture, with bronze fittings as his trademark. The bureau in the De Witte Zwaan collection features beautiful inlay with plant and floral motifs, crafted from a wide variety of woods. Tulips and a large daffodil are elegantly depicted on the front of the bureau. The interior is undecorated and contains three stands for letters/stationery, a drawer and a leather-covered writing surface.