Winding The Mantle Clock c. 1875 - 1880

Alfred Stevens painted "Winding the Mantle Clock" as a study of feminine domesticity, focused around the motif of time. The ornate clock, prominently displayed, is more than a functional object; it symbolizes the regulated life of the bourgeois woman, marking her days with routine and expectation. The act of winding the clock, here, becomes a ritualistic gesture. It’s reminiscent of similar gestures seen across cultures. Think of the cyclical rituals of ancient civilizations, or even the way time-keeping is represented in medieval allegories. There's an element of control, but also submission. The woman’s delicate hand, poised to set the time, echoes the classical image of Fortuna, turning the wheel of fate. But unlike the goddess, her power is confined to this small, gilded cage of time. This tension between control and constraint engages us on a deep, subconscious level, evoking feelings of longing, constraint, and the relentless passage of time. This cyclical interplay between freedom and restriction, so potent in the image of the clock, reappears throughout art history, reminding us of the eternal themes that bind human experience.