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Lot Essay
HISTORY OF THE CLOCK
This clock was designed by Jean-Charles-François Leloy, designer at the Sèvres Manufactory from 1816-1844. The drawing, reproduced here, is now in the Sèvres achives and was registered on March 1, 1820, described as pendule A, 2ème grandeur. His design was in part inspired by the model of clock designed by Charles Percier for Sèvres in 1813 (M. Brunet and T. Préaud, Sèvres, des origines à nos jours, P. 306, no. 436). Another clock, of identical shape and ormolu decoration, designed for Sèvres by Leloy in 1831, placed in the Grand Trianon in 1839, is illustrated D. Ledoux-Lebard, Le Grand Trianon, Paris, 1975, pp. 199-200. All details of the production of this clock are precisely recorded. The Sèvres plaques were made by Bacquet in April 1820. In May the plaques were passed to Pierre Huard who painted the ornamental decoration and in June they were passed on to Jean-Baptiste Ignace Zwinger who painted the figures. The painting was finished by September. The ormolu mounts were cast, chased and gilded at the Manufactory under the supervision of the bronzier Boquet. The clock was finished by 22 December 1820 at a cost of 2087 francs, including 122 francs to Leloy for his drawing, 350 francs to Zwinger, 530 francs to Huard, 151 francs for the porcelain plaques and 825 francs for the ormolu mounts. The clock was exhibited at the Louvre in 1821, listed as no. 11 Une pendule de chéminée, en plaques de porcelaine peintes, montée en bronze doré. Fond blanc, figures et ornements coloriés, relatif à Latone, mère d'Apollon (le soleil) et de Diane (la lune). After the exhibition, the clock was purchased by Louis XVIII for 2500 francs to give as a gift to the duc d'Angoulême as witnessed by the following entry in the Sèvres registry:
Livreé par ordre du roi à la suite de l'exposition à SAR
Mg le duc d'Angoulême, no. 15415, 1 pendule de cheminée montée en bronze doré fonds blanc figures et ornements coloriés relatif à Latone - 2.500.
LETO
Leto, as related in Ovid's Metamorphoses, was the mother of Apollo and Diana. Thirsty after a long journey, she stopped beside a lake in Lycia but was prevented from drinking by peasants working the osier beds. As a punishment she turned them into frogs. Juno, jealous that Jupiter was the father of both of Leto's children, sent a snake which may be represented by those depicted on the sides of the clock.
J.J. LEPAUTE
Jean-Joseph Lepaute (1768-1846), from a distinguished dynasty of clockmakers, recorded at the Place du Palais-Royal, the rue de Richelieu in 1820, and by 1821 at 247 rue Saint Honoré. He was horloger du Roi and horloger de la chambre des Députés.
This clock was designed by Jean-Charles-François Leloy, designer at the Sèvres Manufactory from 1816-1844. The drawing, reproduced here, is now in the Sèvres achives and was registered on March 1, 1820, described as pendule A, 2ème grandeur. His design was in part inspired by the model of clock designed by Charles Percier for Sèvres in 1813 (M. Brunet and T. Préaud, Sèvres, des origines à nos jours, P. 306, no. 436). Another clock, of identical shape and ormolu decoration, designed for Sèvres by Leloy in 1831, placed in the Grand Trianon in 1839, is illustrated D. Ledoux-Lebard, Le Grand Trianon, Paris, 1975, pp. 199-200. All details of the production of this clock are precisely recorded. The Sèvres plaques were made by Bacquet in April 1820. In May the plaques were passed to Pierre Huard who painted the ornamental decoration and in June they were passed on to Jean-Baptiste Ignace Zwinger who painted the figures. The painting was finished by September. The ormolu mounts were cast, chased and gilded at the Manufactory under the supervision of the bronzier Boquet. The clock was finished by 22 December 1820 at a cost of 2087 francs, including 122 francs to Leloy for his drawing, 350 francs to Zwinger, 530 francs to Huard, 151 francs for the porcelain plaques and 825 francs for the ormolu mounts. The clock was exhibited at the Louvre in 1821, listed as no. 11 Une pendule de chéminée, en plaques de porcelaine peintes, montée en bronze doré. Fond blanc, figures et ornements coloriés, relatif à Latone, mère d'Apollon (le soleil) et de Diane (la lune). After the exhibition, the clock was purchased by Louis XVIII for 2500 francs to give as a gift to the duc d'Angoulême as witnessed by the following entry in the Sèvres registry:
Livreé par ordre du roi à la suite de l'exposition à SAR
Mg le duc d'Angoulême, no. 15415, 1 pendule de cheminée montée en bronze doré fonds blanc figures et ornements coloriés relatif à Latone - 2.500.
LETO
Leto, as related in Ovid's Metamorphoses, was the mother of Apollo and Diana. Thirsty after a long journey, she stopped beside a lake in Lycia but was prevented from drinking by peasants working the osier beds. As a punishment she turned them into frogs. Juno, jealous that Jupiter was the father of both of Leto's children, sent a snake which may be represented by those depicted on the sides of the clock.
J.J. LEPAUTE
Jean-Joseph Lepaute (1768-1846), from a distinguished dynasty of clockmakers, recorded at the Place du Palais-Royal, the rue de Richelieu in 1820, and by 1821 at 247 rue Saint Honoré. He was horloger du Roi and horloger de la chambre des Députés.