Clock with vestals c. 1790

Curator: Editor: So, this is “Clock with Vestals,” made around 1790 by Pierre-Philippe Thomire. The materials include bronze and marble. It has a solemn, almost severe mood with the dark bronze figures contrasting against the gold clock face. What do you see in this piece? Curator: This clock speaks volumes about the cultural anxieties of the late 18th century. The "vestals" reference the Vestal Virgins of ancient Rome, priestesses dedicated to the goddess Vesta. What does it mean to invoke this imagery during the French Revolution? Editor: I hadn't thought of it in the context of the Revolution. Maybe a longing for a more ordered, idealized past? Curator: Precisely. It’s more than just aesthetics; neoclassicism, here, is a political statement. Consider how the vestals, as symbols of purity and civic virtue, would resonate amid the perceived decadence of the aristocracy. Are they a quiet critique of the present? Or an escapist fantasy? Editor: So, the clock isn't just telling time, but also telling a story about power, morality, and social change? Curator: Absolutely. The choice of bronze and marble, materials associated with permanence and classical art, further underscores this desire for stability. Even the very act of measuring time becomes entangled with the anxieties and aspirations of a society on the brink of transformation. Notice the sculpted frieze on the base. What narratives do you see unfolding there? Editor: I see what looks like more scenes of figures from ancient times. This clock makes me realize how much decorative art can reflect social concerns. Curator: It certainly does. And in examining those reflections, we learn as much about ourselves as we do about the past. Thank you, that really makes one think.