The furniture and other items in this room belonged to Christoph Merian (1800–1858), Basel’s most prominent, wealthiest citizen in the 19th century. Unlike the other rooms, which display items of a single style generally drawn from a number of different homes, the Merian Room shows an authentic ensemble of items dating from different periods. Next to the Louis-Philippe drawing room suite of furniture made in 1855 stands a pianoforte in the earlier Empire style. The suite is complemented by two portraits that show Christoph Merian and his wife Margaretha sitting on the chairs displayed here. The style of the suite’s design is named after France’s bourgeois king Louis-Philippe (1830–1848).