Ontwerp voor een pendule c. 1830 - 1840

Editor: Here we have Jean-Jacques Feuchère’s "Design for a Pendulum Clock," a pencil drawing dating back to the 1830s or 40s. There's such an elaborate level of detail, and the drawing style feels classical, but somehow also evokes a sense of personal artistry because it’s on toned paper. What can you tell me about this kind of object, given its context? Curator: It's fascinating how designs like this reflect the shifting power dynamics of the era. The pendulum clock, initially a symbol of scientific precision for the elite, gradually permeated bourgeois society. So, in seeing something so elaborate like this, do you think this design aims for functionality or something more? Editor: Definitely more. All the embellishments feel almost excessive for a functional object. Perhaps it speaks to aspiration, status... Curator: Precisely. Consider the rise of industrialization and the burgeoning middle class. Owning such an ornate clock was less about telling time, and more about displaying wealth and aligning oneself with aristocratic taste. This drawing also suggests something about art education - where do you think an artist like Feuchère learned the craft needed to render ornament in this manner? Editor: Probably at the Beaux-Arts. There is almost a uniform quality in architectural drawings around the turn of the century...It reminds me of how, with photography, a person with no artistic skill could represent themselves in an aesthetic, "fine art" form... This would almost let a middle-class family "stage" or perform an aristocratic status... Curator: Exactly, these institutions both supported, and enforced, cultural and class boundaries. Editor: It's amazing to consider this pendulum clock, not just as an object, but as a piece of social commentary rendered in graphite. Curator: Indeed, a reminder that even in design, there's always a deeper cultural narrative ticking away.