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Lot Essay
Jean-François Oeben, ébéniste du roi in 1754 and maître circa 1761.
This elegant model of breakfront commode 'à la grecque', with its eleborate cube parquetry pattern with interlaced circles and strapwork borders, first evolved in the workshop of Jean-François Oeben around 1750 - 1760 (see F.J.B.Watson, Louis XVI Furniture, 1960, p. 68). The design, with its stylized Greek-key framing and bucranium-cast mounts, clearly characterizes the nascent neo-classicism of the goût grec style of the late Louis XV period.
Closely related commodes à la grecque stamped by Oeben are in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles (illustrated in R. Stratmann-Döhler, Jean-François Oeben, Paris, 2002, p. 54) and sold Christie's, New York, 11 November 1978, lot 136, while a further example in a private collection is illustrated in A. Pradère, Les Ebénistes Français de Louis XIV à la Révolution, Paris, 1989, p. 261, fig. 276.
This model evidently achieved great success and was soon emulated by other Parisian ébénistes, such as Jacques Dautriche (maître in 1765) and Pierre Macret (ébéniste suivant la Cour from 1756). A very similar example stamped by Macret was sold from the estate of the 4th Earl of Wharnclyffe, Christie's, London, 12 June 2003, lot 1195, and a further related example by Dautriche with a Greek key mount to the frieze and slight variation to the apron mount, was sold anonymously in the same sale, lot 1073.
This elegant model of breakfront commode 'à la grecque', with its eleborate cube parquetry pattern with interlaced circles and strapwork borders, first evolved in the workshop of Jean-François Oeben around 1750 - 1760 (see F.J.B.Watson, Louis XVI Furniture, 1960, p. 68). The design, with its stylized Greek-key framing and bucranium-cast mounts, clearly characterizes the nascent neo-classicism of the goût grec style of the late Louis XV period.
Closely related commodes à la grecque stamped by Oeben are in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles (illustrated in R. Stratmann-Döhler, Jean-François Oeben, Paris, 2002, p. 54) and sold Christie's, New York, 11 November 1978, lot 136, while a further example in a private collection is illustrated in A. Pradère, Les Ebénistes Français de Louis XIV à la Révolution, Paris, 1989, p. 261, fig. 276.
This model evidently achieved great success and was soon emulated by other Parisian ébénistes, such as Jacques Dautriche (maître in 1765) and Pierre Macret (ébéniste suivant la Cour from 1756). A very similar example stamped by Macret was sold from the estate of the 4th Earl of Wharnclyffe, Christie's, London, 12 June 2003, lot 1195, and a further related example by Dautriche with a Greek key mount to the frieze and slight variation to the apron mount, was sold anonymously in the same sale, lot 1073.