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RICHARD REDDING ANTIQUES |
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RICHARD REDDING ANTIQUES |
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An extremely fine Louis XVI gilt bronze and bleu turquin marble mantle clock of eight day duration signed on the white enamel dial Chles Bertrand à Paris and likewise on the movement, housed in a magnificent case attributed to François Vion, the dial with Roman and Arabic numerals and a very fine pair of gilt brass hands for the hours and minutes. The high quality movement with anchor escapement, striking on the hour and half hours with outside count wheel. The magnificent gilt bronze case attributed to François Vion featuring a beautiful maiden in diaphanous dress leaning upon a plinth toward Cupid as he offers her a dove in his outstretched hands, the dial plinth mounted below with foliate spandrels upon a shaped rectangular draped plinth centred by a flaming torch, quiver of arrows and a heart, on lion paw feet upon a bleu turquin marble base mounted with scrolled foliate sprays enclosing torches and a central rosette Paris, date circa 1775 Height 37.5 cm, width 28 cm, depth 15.5 cm. Literature: Hans Ottomeyer and Peter Pröschel, “Vergoldete Bronzen”, 1986, p. 247, pls. 4.6.9-10, respectively illustrating a pen and ink design by Vion for this clock as well as an identical clock signed on the dial Chles Le Roy à Paris. Jean-Dominique Augarde, “Les Ouvriers du Temps”, 1996, p 242, pl. 191, illustrating a clock of the same model in gilt bronze and marble with movement by Jean-Baptiste Lepaute. Pierre Kjellberg, “Encyclopédie de la Pendule Française du Moyen Age au XXe Siècle”, 1997, p. 246, pl. A, illustrating a clock of the same model in gilt bronze and marble with movement by Roque. The model for this superb case can be firmly attributed to the celebrated fondeur-ciseleur François Vion (b. circa 1737 d. after 1790), who was received as a maître in 1764. His design, popularly known as ‘L’Amour Offrant un Oiseau à l’Amitié’, ‘La Pleureuse’ or ‘Le Retour de l’Amour’ appeared in an album of watercolours, preserved at the Bibliothèque Doucet, Paris and also in the Livre de desseins no. 31, when it was inscribed with Vion’s name and priced at 450 livres. Queen Marie Antoinette owned an identical clock with movement by the royal clockmaker Robert Robin which was displayed at the Trianon, Palais de Versailles. Another was listed in 1777 in the apartments of the comte d’Artois, later Charles X at the Palais du Temple. Other clocks of this model can be found in the Château de Versailles and the Bayreuther Schloss. The style of the clock accorded with the vogue for the Antique, as promoted by the leading Parisian marchand-merciers during the 1760’s. Its subject celebrates the triumph of Lyric Poetry, recalling the Roman poet Catullus’ ode on the death of a sparrow. Here Love is personified by Cupid as he attends a mourning nymph, who indicates time’s passing on the clock dial. The quality of the case is matched by its movement which was made by the celebrated maker Joseph-Charles-Paul Bertrand, known as Charles Bertrand (1746-89); he is known to have used cases by Vion as well as other leading bronziers such as Jean-Joseph de Saint-Germain, Jean-Nicolas Frémont, T. Thomas, Bécourt and Jean-Baptiste Zacon as well as those gilded by N. F. Poisson. In addition Bertrand used marble cases sculptured by F. Cornière and is known to have used watchcases by Knab. His dials were also of the finest quality and were supplied by Joseph Coteau, Edme-Portail Barbichon, Jean-François Borel and Jacques Anspach. During his illustrious career Bertrand made a number of very fine and rare works which are now prized among the world’s most prestigious collections including the Metropolitan Museum New York, the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore and the Musée National des Techniques in Paris. The son of a head headwaiter, he was born in Nettancourt near Châlons on 24th May 1746 and in 1761 began an apprenticeship in Paris under Eustache-François Houblin (1722 d. after 1786). In 1770 Bertrand presented his chef d’oeuvre, the following year he was received as a maître and then as a reflection of his work was appointed Horloger de l’Académie Royale des Sciences. In 1772 Bertrand married Marie-Française Perriard and in the same year established himself at rue Montmartre where he remained for the rest of his short life. Despite his esteem and prestigious client list that included the marquise de Lambertye and M. Aranc de Presles, Bertrand declared bankruptcy in November 1789, the year in which he died. |