Clock, table, France, 19th century

Louis XVI table clock "Pendule à cercles tournants"; France, XIX century. Mercury gilt bronze, Carrara marble, enamel and copper. Preserves key. Measurements: 69 x 32 x 22 cm. This 19th century French clock is a true masterpiece of decorative art and watchmaking. Made in gilded bronze with meticulously sculpted details, it represents an allegory of time.

The centerpiece is dominated by the figure of Cronus, the god of time in Greek mythology, depicted as a muscular old man with wings holding a scythe aloft, symbol of the inexorable passage of time. At his side, a blue globe adorned with golden stars acts as the clock face, with Roman numerals marking the hours and a graduated ring measuring the minutes. At the foot of Chronos are childlike figures representing the passage of childhood and youth, symbolizing the cyclical and inevitable nature of time. The gilt relief at the base of the clock depicts scenes related to human activities, such as reading and teaching, alluding to the importance of time in human achievement and learning.

The clock combines the technical precision of French clockmaking with the artistic sophistication of neoclassical sculpture, highlighting the mastery of the craftsmen of the time in both disciplines. Its relevance lies not only in its aesthetic beauty, but also in its ability to encapsulate the philosophical ideas of its time, serving as a visual reminder of the passage of time and the importance of seizing every moment.

It is necessary to compare the present piece with a clock from the Halim Time & Glass Museum (Evanston, Illinois, USA) Louis XVI known as "The triumph of Love Over Time", made in France around 1780. The bronzes on it have been attributed to Etienne Mratincourt, who used a design by the sculptor Augustin Pajau, and the machinery was the work of Gabriel Courieult (signature on the base). Several examples similar to this one are known to be preserved in private collections.

Also of note is a table clock in the Wallace collection in London in which this Chrono God is patinated rather than gilded and the piece stands on a porphyry base (inv F264), dated circa 1780 and also linked to the caster Etienne Martincourt (act.1763-1791) and the design by Augustin Pajou (1730-1809), this piece is said to have been a version of another larger work commissioned by the Duchess of Manzarino. The present clock shows an iconography very similar to that of these examples, finding the same figures in both, finding some differences as is normal since each piece is unique, note the clouds, the position of the stars on the dial and the design of the bands for the hours. In operation. Keeps key.