Jean-François Oeben
Jean -François Oeben, Johann Franz Oeben ( born October 9, 1721 Heinberg, † January 23, 1763 in Paris) was a German Ebenist, who worked in France.
Appreciation
Oeben belongs next to Joseph Tree Hauer, Johann Wilhelm Bene man, Jacob Peter Latz, Bernhard Molitor, Carl Erdmann Richter, Johann Heinrich Riesener, JG Schlichtig, Caspar Schneider, Johann Ferdinand Schwerdfeger, Adam Weishaupt Weiler, Christoph Wolff, etc. to the numerous German cabinetmaker, due of the German guild system in the 18th century emigrated to France.
Biography
His journeyman is probably from about 1734-1735 to about 1740-1742. The training location could have been Heinberg, Jülich, Aachen or Cologne. From 1749 on he lived in the Faubourg Saint -Antoine.
On June 29, 1749, he married Francoise -Marguerite van der Cruse, daughter of the cabinetmaker François van der Cruse, and thus was also the brother in law of the cabinetmaker Roger Vandercruse Lacroix.
During the years 1751-1754 he is listed as compagnon Ebeniste Menuisier et du Roy in the workshop of Charles -Joseph Boulle, son of cabinetmaker André -Charles Boulle, the Louvre in Paris as self -working.
When Charles -Joseph Boulle 1754 dies, Oeben receives the official title of the Hofmöbelkünstlers, the " ebeniste du roi aux tapestries ". He is, however, only in 1761 awarded the championship, so he is forced to use a different stamp. Therefore, the safe attribution of his furniture is very difficult.
Oeben was a protégé of Madame de Pompadour, for which he produced many works. After an inventory list that was created after his death, it's home 10 objects that were awaiting transfer to Madame de Pompadour. She had no doubt this furniture for the Château de Bellevue ordered and already paid 17,400 livres on account. After the death of Madame Pompadour were found in their possession six dressers "à la Grecque ", which probably came from Oeben.
Work
One of the most famous furniture Oebens is the roll desk. His main work applies the Bureau du Roi, which in 1760 commissioned by Louis XV. was started but could not finish it Oeben, since he died in 1763. It was completed by the students and staff as well as future husband of Oebens Johann Heinrich Riesener widow, provided with the fire-gilded bronzes of Etienne Forestier and delivered in 1769.
Collections
- Palace of Versailles, Paris
- Musée du Louvre, Paris
- Musée Cognacq -Jay, Paris
- Musée de Tours, Tours
- Victoria & Albert Museum, London
- Wallace Collection, London
- Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
- Palacio Real, Madrid
- Museum of Arts and Crafts, Hamburg
- Munich Residenz
- Museum of Applied Arts Budapest
- National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
- J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu
- Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh
- Private collections in France, Great Britain, Denmark, Portugal and USA