This catalogue focuses on French ébénisterie furniture in the Rococo style dating from 1735 to 1760. These splendid objects directly reflect the tastes of the Museum’s founder, J. Paul Getty, who started collecting in this area in 1938 and continued until his death in 1976.

The Museum’s collection is particularly rich in examples created by the most talented cabinet masters then active in Paris, including Bernard van Risenburgh II (after 1696–ca. 1766), Jacques Dubois (1694–1763), and Jean-François Oeben (1721–1763). Working for members of the French royal family and aristocracy, these craftsmen excelled at producing veneered and marquetried pieces of furniture (tables, cabinets, and chests of drawers) fashionable for their lavish surfaces, refined gilt-bronze mounts, and elaborate design. These objects were renowned throughout Europe at a time when Paris was considered the capital of good taste.

The entry on each work comprises both a curatorial section, with description and commentary, and a conservation report, with construction diagrams. An introduction by Anne-Lise Desmas traces the collection’s acquisition history, and two technical essays by Arlen Heginbotham present methodologies and findings on the analysis of gilt-bronze mounts and lacquer.

• Director’s Foreword, Timothy Potts
• Glossary of Woods Used in French Furniture from the J. Paul Getty Museum Collection
• Contributors
• Introduction: Acquisitions History of the Rococo Ébénisterie Collection, Anne-Lise Desmas
• The Analysis of East Asian and European Lacquer Surfaces on Rococo Furniture, Jessica Chasen, Arlen Heginbotham, and Michael Schilling
• Technical Note: The Use of X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF) in the Technical Study of Gilt Bronze Mounts in This Catalogue, Arlen Heginbotham
• Catalogue
• Bibliography

Gillian Wilson was formerly curator of French decorative arts at the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Arlen Heginbotham is conservator of decorative arts at the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Jessica Chasen is assistant conservator in decorative arts and sculpture conservation at the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Yannick Chastang is a conservator and designer of cabinets and marquetry. He was formerly junior conservator at the Musée des Arts Decoratifs, Paris and furniture conservator at the Wallace Collection, London. He has been the managing director of Yannick Chastang Limited since 2003.

Jan Dorscheid was formerly an intern in sculpture and decorative arts at the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Joe Godla is chief conservator at the Frick Collection. He was formerly associate conservator of sculpture and decorative arts at the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Clara von Englehardt was formerly an intern in sculpture and decorative arts at the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Philippe Halbert was formerly a graduate intern in sculpture and decorative arts at the J. Paul Getty Museum. He is currently a doctoral student in the department of the history of art at Yale University, where he studies American and European decorative art and material culture.

Gordon Hanlon received his B.A. degree in biology from the University of York, England, in 1979. From 1980 to 1984 he was assistant curator of Road Transport and Agricultural Implements at the Museum of Science and Technology, London. In 1984 he started a four-year studentship at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, specializing in the conservation of furniture and gilded objects. In 1988 he joined the J. Paul Getty Museum as an intern and is now associate conservator in the Decorative Arts and Sculpture Conservation department. He specializes in the conservation of gilded furniture.

Katrina Posner is an objects conservator at the Thinking Museum. She was formerly associate conservator of sculpture and decorative arts at the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Michael Schilling is senior scientist at the Getty Conservation Institute.

Ron Schmidtling is a geologist, teacher, and author based in Los Angeles.

Linnea Seidling is curatorial assistant at the Corning Museum of Glass. She was previously curatorial assistant in sculpture and decorative arts at the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Anne-Lise Desmas is senior curator and head of the Department of Sculpture and Decorative Arts at the J. Paul Getty Museum.