Jean-François Oeben
French, born Germany
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Jean-François Oeben (1721-1763) was a German-born French cabinetmaker who served as ébéniste du roi to Louis XV. He began the famous Bureau du Roi, the elaborate roll-top desk completed by his student Jean-Henri Riesener, now considered the most famous piece of furniture in the world.
Oeben excelled in mechanical furniture with hidden compartments and ingenious mechanisms. His mastery of pictorial marquetry (inlaid wood depicting flowers, trophies, and landscapes) and mechanical innovation made him the most sought-after cabinetmaker of mid-18th-century France.
Sculptures by Jean-François Oeben
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Museums with Jean-François Oeben's Work
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About Jean-François Oeben
Oeben began the Bureau du Roi, the most famous piece of furniture in the world. He excelled in mechanical furniture with hidden compartments and pictorial marquetry of extraordinary refinement.
The Bureau du Roi is at Versailles. Other works are at the Louvre, the Wallace Collection in London, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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