Wall clock (pendule en cartel) 1780 - 1790

Curator: This elegant object is a wall clock, a "pendule en cartel," crafted between 1780 and 1790, and made with silver and other metals. Editor: My first impression is…opulence. It practically screams aristocratic leisure. Every inch is covered in flourishes, even something as utilitarian as a clock is elevated to a decorative statement. Curator: Absolutely. Notice the baroque influences, that emphasis on curves, the elaborate sculptural detailing – the overflowing floral arrangements, the ribbon at the top. And then observe the addition of the Green Man at the bottom, wreathed in grapes, a symbol that tells tales of cycles of death and rebirth, the changing of seasons… and of time itself. Editor: And speaking of time, what strikes me is the sheer labour involved. The chasing, the casting, the assembly. Imagine the workshop conditions, the specialist skills passed down through generations… It really challenges the idea that these objects sprang forth from individual “genius.” Curator: Very true. It's not simply the artist's individual hand; we see echoes of collective belief embedded within these symbols. Time itself becomes more than just a measurement; it's a reminder of mortality, of the eternal rhythms of nature, and the power of the divine through those cycles. It’s also asserting the owner's power over such natural cycles! Editor: It makes you wonder about its original location. Was it displayed in a salon, designed to impress visitors? To announce the owner's good taste and status? We should not ignore how such pieces also become tied into complex networks of commerce and social ambition. Who designed the piece? Which workshops collaborated? Curator: And how the presence of that clock regulated their days within that home. Editor: That's right. Beyond telling time, it dictated rhythms of life within those very adorned rooms. A gilded cage by design. Curator: In this singular creation of the pendulum clock, we have observed artful measurement intertwining natural, cyclical patterns in symbols wrought of precious materials. Editor: Seeing it this way illuminates so much more than the hour: it exposes both what society values, and at what price, at a specific time.