Nothing is securely known about his training. He was in Paris by about 1740; from 1749 he lived in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine.
During 1751 - 1754 he worked as compagnon at the workshop of Charles-Joseph Boulle, son of the great ébeniste of Louis XIV, André Charles Boulle, and then independently in premises in the Galleries of the Louvre sublet to him by Boulle. From 1754 he was granted premises, at first at the Manufacture des Gobelins, then, in 1756, in workshops and lodgings at the Arsenal.
Though he had workshops under royal appointment, throughout his career the royal cabinet-maker, ébeniste du Roi, was Gilles Joubert. Oeben worked for the aristocracy sometimes through intermediary marchands-merciers, providing extremely refined case furniture[1] with marquetry of flowers that gave way, in the last years of his career, to sober geometrical tiled patterns.
Oeben worked extensively for Madame de Pompadour: in the inventory drawn up after his death there were ten items awaiting delivery to Mme de Pompadour. She had ordered many pieces of furniture from him in 1761, doubtless for the Château de Bellevue, and had already paid 17,400 livres on account. In the inventory after her death, there were sixteen commodes "à la Grecque" that must have come from Oeben, who was in the forefront of this first phase of neoclassical style; in the announcement advertising the sale of his stock after his death, it was explicitly stated that all was "in a new style"[2] (Eriksen 1974:208). Not all of the furnishings for Mme de Pompadour had abandoned the rococo manner: at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a mechanical table stamped by Oeben and his brother-in-law R.V.L.C.[3] has pierced cabriole legs, for an unusual effect of lightness and grace. Its mounts bear Pompadour's armorial bearing, a tower, and R.V.L.C.'s stamp shows that it was one of the pieces in the workshop that was left unfinished at the time of Oeben's death, completed and stamped by Roger Vandercruse.
Oeben's distinguished marquetry appears at its most ambitious on the famous, minutely-documented roll-top Bureau du Roi, made for Louis XV, which was begun in 1760 and remained unfinished at his death; it was finished and delivered in 1769, signed by Jean Henri Riesener, but it was Oeben who devised its intricate mechanisms.
The known work of Oeben possesses genuine grace and beauty; as craftsmanship it is of the first rank, and it is typically French in its fluent, idiomatic character. His furniture is found in all the great national collections of decorative arts. The Museu Calouste Gulbenkian has a mechanical table made by Oeben for the comte d'Argenson[4] which opens swing-away secretarial writing surfaces and a tilted reading easel with successive turns of a single key. At the J. Paul Getty Museum is a commode of ca. 1760 stamped by Oeben[5] veneered in parquetry and reflecting the "new style" especially in its gilt-bronze mounts; it is fitted with an elaborate locking mechanism typical of Oeben. He is represented in the Victoria and Albert Museum by a pair of inlaid corner-cupboards. These, with a bureau and a chiffonier in the French national Garde Meuble, in which bouquets of flowers are delicately inlaid in choice woods, are his best-known and most admirable achievements.
Familyedit
On 29 June 1749 Jean-François married Françoise-Marguerite Vandercruse, the daughter of the ébeniste François Vandercruse called Lacroix, and so was the brother-in-law of another outstanding cabinet-maker, Roger Vandercruse Lacroix. Françoise-Marguerite bore daughter Victoire to Jean-François, and Victoire bore painter Eugène Delacroix.
Jean-François has sometimes been confused with his brother Simon-François Oeben (ca. 1725, Heinsberg - 1786, Paris), his employee since 1754, who married the other Vandercruse sister. Their sister Marie-Catherine married the ébenisteMartin Carlin in 1759.
His widow married his journeyman Jean Henri Riesener, who used Oeben's stamp until he was granted its mastership in 1768.
This article was formerly based on Encyclopædia Britannica 1911, "Jean-François Oeben".
Eriksen, Svend, 1974. Early Neo-Classicism in France (London: Faber)
Stratman Döhler, Rosemarie, Jean François Oeben, Paris, 2002, ISBN2-85917-354-4
November 07, 2023
jean, françois, oeben, johann, franz, oeben, october, 1721, heinsberg, near, aachen, paris, january, 1763, german, ébéniste, cabinetmaker, whose, career, spent, paris, maternal, grandfather, painter, eugène, delacroix, secrétaire, cylindre, born9, october, 172. Jean Francois Oeben or Johann Franz Oeben 9 October 1721 Heinsberg near Aachen Paris 21 January 1763 was a German ebeniste cabinetmaker whose career was spent in Paris He was the maternal grandfather of the painter Eugene Delacroix Jean Francois OebenSecretaire a cylindre by Jean Francois OebenBorn9 October 1721WifeFrancoise Marguerite VandercruseIssueVictoire Delacroix nee Oeben Contents 1 Life and career 2 Family 3 See also 4 Notes 5 ReferencesLife and career editNothing is securely known about his training He was in Paris by about 1740 from 1749 he lived in the Faubourg Saint Antoine During 1751 1754 he worked as compagnon at the workshop of Charles Joseph Boulle son of the great ebeniste of Louis XIV Andre Charles Boulle and then independently in premises in the Galleries of the Louvre sublet to him by Boulle From 1754 he was granted premises at first at the Manufacture des Gobelins then in 1756 in workshops and lodgings at the Arsenal nbsp The Bureau du Roi from 1760 completed by Jean Henri RiesenerThough he had workshops under royal appointment throughout his career the royal cabinet maker ebeniste du Roi was Gilles Joubert Oeben worked for the aristocracy sometimes through intermediary marchands merciers providing extremely refined case furniture 1 with marquetry of flowers that gave way in the last years of his career to sober geometrical tiled patterns Oeben worked extensively for Madame de Pompadour in the inventory drawn up after his death there were ten items awaiting delivery to Mme de Pompadour She had ordered many pieces of furniture from him in 1761 doubtless for the Chateau de Bellevue and had already paid 17 400 livres on account In the inventory after her death there were sixteen commodes a la Grecque that must have come from Oeben who was in the forefront of this first phase of neoclassical style in the announcement advertising the sale of his stock after his death it was explicitly stated that all was in a new style 2 Eriksen 1974 208 Not all of the furnishings for Mme de Pompadour had abandoned the rococo manner at the Metropolitan Museum of Art a mechanical table stamped by Oeben and his brother in law R V L C 3 has pierced cabriole legs for an unusual effect of lightness and grace Its mounts bear Pompadour s armorial bearing a tower and R V L C s stamp shows that it was one of the pieces in the workshop that was left unfinished at the time of Oeben s death completed and stamped by Roger Vandercruse Oeben s distinguished marquetry appears at its most ambitious on the famous minutely documented roll top Bureau du Roi made for Louis XV which was begun in 1760 and remained unfinished at his death it was finished and delivered in 1769 signed by Jean Henri Riesener but it was Oeben who devised its intricate mechanisms The known work of Oeben possesses genuine grace and beauty as craftsmanship it is of the first rank and it is typically French in its fluent idiomatic character His furniture is found in all the great national collections of decorative arts The Museu Calouste Gulbenkian has a mechanical table made by Oeben for the comte d Argenson 4 which opens swing away secretarial writing surfaces and a tilted reading easel with successive turns of a single key At the J Paul Getty Museum is a commode of ca 1760 stamped by Oeben 5 veneered in parquetry and reflecting the new style especially in its gilt bronze mounts it is fitted with an elaborate locking mechanism typical of Oeben He is represented in the Victoria and Albert Museum by a pair of inlaid corner cupboards These with a bureau and a chiffonier in the French national Garde Meuble in which bouquets of flowers are delicately inlaid in choice woods are his best known and most admirable achievements Family editOn 29 June 1749 Jean Francois married Francoise Marguerite Vandercruse the daughter of the ebeniste Francois Vandercruse called Lacroix and so was the brother in law of another outstanding cabinet maker Roger Vandercruse Lacroix Francoise Marguerite bore daughter Victoire to Jean Francois and Victoire bore painter Eugene Delacroix Jean Francois has sometimes been confused with his brother Simon Francois Oeben ca 1725 Heinsberg 1786 Paris his employee since 1754 who married the other Vandercruse sister Their sister Marie Catherine married the ebeniste Martin Carlin in 1759 His widow married his journeyman Jean Henri Riesener who used Oeben s stamp until he was granted its mastership in 1768 See also editNeoclassicism in FranceNotes edit Seat furniture and other carved work was the province of a separate craft the menuisiers d un gout nouveau Metropolitan Museum s Oeben R V L C table Gulbenkian mechanical table Archived 2 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine Getty Museum commode by J F Oeben Archived 20 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine References editChisholm Hugh ed 1911 Oeben Jean Francois Encyclopaedia Britannica 11th ed Cambridge University Press This article was formerly based on Encyclopaedia Britannica 1911 Jean Francois Oeben Eriksen Svend 1974 Early Neo Classicism in France London Faber Stratman Dohler Rosemarie Jean Francois Oeben Paris 2002 ISBN 2 85917 354 4 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jean Francois Oeben amp oldid 1127594901, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
