(b ?Germany; d after 1804). French cabinetmaker, possibly of German birth. He was first mentioned in the accounts of the Garde Meuble de la Couronne in 1784. The following year he became a maître-ébéniste and was appointed Ebéniste du Roi. In 1786 he became the main supplier to the Garde Meuble under the direction of the sculptor Jean Hauré, who was in charge of furniture production. Beneman understood how to create a unified style in furnishings for royal residences, which is shown by his copying of old pieces: the writing-desk (Waddesdon Manor, Bucks, NT) for Louis XVI, for example, was based on the Bureau du Roi Louis XV (1769; Versailles, Château; see BUREAU, fig. 2) made by Jean-Henri Riesener and Jean-François Oeben. There are few identifiable works by Beneman, so his contribution to the period is difficult to ascertain. The few pieces of furniture created during the Directoire (1795–9) indicate that he could adapt his forms to the new, fashionable styles.

• Beneman, Guillaume
  • France, §VI, 4: Furniture, 1794–1848
  • France, §IX, 2(iii)(a): Base metalwork, 1600–1800: Gilt-bronze
  • Stöckel, Joseph
  • collaboration
    • Ravrio, Antoine-André
  • patrons and collectors
    • France, §VI, 3(ii): Furniture, 1716–93: Expansion of cabinetmaking
  • works
    • Commode
    • France, §VI, 3(i): Furniture, 1716–93: New furniture types