Jean-François Oeben

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Jean-François Oeben , Johann Franz Oeben (born October 9, 1721 in Heinsberg , † January 23, 1763 in Paris ) was a German cabinet maker who worked in France.

Appreciation

In addition to Joseph Baumhauer , Johann Wilhelm Benemann , Jakob Peter Latz , Bernhard Molitor , Carl Erdmann Richter , Johann Heinrich Riesener , JG Schlichtig , Caspar Schneider , Johann Ferdinand Schwerdfeger , Adam Weisweiler u. a. to the numerous German levelers who emigrated to France in the 18th century because of the German guild system .

biography

His journeyman time is probably from around 1734–1735 to around 1740–1742. The training location could have been Heinsberg , Jülich , Aachen or Cologne . From 1749 on he lived in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine , the center of the art carpentry in Paris.

On June 29, 1749 he married Francoise-Marguerite van der Cruse , the daughter of the cabinet maker François van der Cruse, and was thus also the brother-in-law of the cabinet maker Roger Vandercruse Lacroix .

During the years 1751–1754 he was listed as a compagnon Ebeniste et Menuisier du Roy in the workshop of Charles-Joseph Boulle , son of the cabinet-maker André-Charles Boulle , in the Louvre in Paris.

When Charles-Joseph Boulle died in 1754, Oeben was given the official title of court furniture artist, "Ebeniste du roi aux gobelins". However, he was not awarded the master's title until 1761, so that he was forced to use a different stamp. This is why it is very difficult to reliably attribute his furniture.

Above was the protégé of Madame de Pompadour , for whom he made many works. According to an inventory list that was drawn up after his death, there are 10 objects that were still waiting to be handed over to Madame de Pompadour. She had undoubtedly ordered this furniture for the Château de Bellevue and had already paid 17,400 livres on account. After Madame Pompadour's death, six chests of drawers "à la Grecque" were found in her possession, probably from Oeben. In the 1740s his younger brother Simon Oeben followed him to Paris, he, also a skilled cabinet maker, took over the workshop in 1763.

plant

One of the most famous pieces of furniture from Oebens is the rollable desk . His main work is the Bureau du Roi , which was commissioned by Louis XV in 1760. started; However, Oeben could not finish it because he died in 1763. It was completed by the pupil and colleague and later husband of the widow Oebens Johann Heinrich Riesener , decorated with the fire-gilded bronzes by Etienne Forestier and delivered in 1769.

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literature

personal data
SURNAME Oeben, Jean-François
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Oeben, François; Oeben, Johann Franz
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German leveler
DATE OF BIRTH October 9, 1721
PLACE OF BIRTH Heinsberg
DATE OF DEATH January 23, 1763
Place of death Paris