The Triumph of Love over Time 1775 - 1795

Jean-Baptiste Lepaute created this gilded clock, "The Triumph of Love over Time," now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, using bronze and white marble. The eye is immediately drawn to its spherical clock face, embraced by figures that represent love overcoming time. Lepaute destabilizes the traditional notion of time as a rigid, linear construct. Instead, time is presented as something malleable, almost playful, dominated by the allegorical figures of love. This subversion speaks to the broader philosophical currents of the time, where Enlightenment ideals questioned established norms. The semiotic system at play here uses love and time as signs, with Lepaute reorganizing their relationship to suggest new interpretations of existence. The choice of bronze and marble enhances this effect. The clock invites us to consider how we perceive and interact with these fundamental concepts, positioning the viewer not as a passive observer but as an active participant in the ongoing cultural and philosophical debate.