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Lot Essay
This remarkable clock was made by Joseph-Charles-Paul Bertrand, known as Charles Bertrand (1746-1789). He was one of the leading Parisian clockmakers of his day. During his illustrious but relatively short career Bertrand made some very fine and rare clocks, for example complicated skeleton clocks, which are now prized among the world's most prestigious collections including the Metropolitan Museum New York, the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore and the Musée National des Techniques in Paris.
Unlike many of his contemporaries, Charles Bertrand did not come from a clock or watchmaking family for his father Joseph was a headwaiter. Bertrand was born in Nettancourt near Chalons on 24th May 1746 and in 1761 at the age of 14 or just 15 he began an apprenticeship in Paris under Eustache-Frangois Houblin (1722 d. after 1786). In 1770 Bertrand presented his chef d'oeuvre and the following year was received as a maître-horloger. Based on the obvious quality of his work he was appointed Horloger de I'Academie Royale des Sciences which, as here he proudly declared on a number of his clocks. In 1772 Bertrand married Marie-Francaise Perriard and in the same year established himself at rue Montmatre where he remained for the rest of his short life. Despite his esteem and prestigious client list that included the marquise de Lambertye and M. Aranc de Presles, Bertrand was declared bankrupt on 23rd November 1789 - the year in which he died.
The case is after a model by Francois Vion. A comperable case is illsutrated in Pierre Kjellberg, Encyclopdie de la Pendule Française du Moyen Age au XXe Siècle, 1997, p. 246. A similar mantel clock was in the collection of Marie-Antoinette and now in the Louvre. Another comperable case can be found in Musée Carnavalet and Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.
Unlike many of his contemporaries, Charles Bertrand did not come from a clock or watchmaking family for his father Joseph was a headwaiter. Bertrand was born in Nettancourt near Chalons on 24th May 1746 and in 1761 at the age of 14 or just 15 he began an apprenticeship in Paris under Eustache-Frangois Houblin (1722 d. after 1786). In 1770 Bertrand presented his chef d'oeuvre and the following year was received as a maître-horloger. Based on the obvious quality of his work he was appointed Horloger de I'Academie Royale des Sciences which, as here he proudly declared on a number of his clocks. In 1772 Bertrand married Marie-Francaise Perriard and in the same year established himself at rue Montmatre where he remained for the rest of his short life. Despite his esteem and prestigious client list that included the marquise de Lambertye and M. Aranc de Presles, Bertrand was declared bankrupt on 23rd November 1789 - the year in which he died.
The case is after a model by Francois Vion. A comperable case is illsutrated in Pierre Kjellberg, Encyclopdie de la Pendule Française du Moyen Age au XXe Siècle, 1997, p. 246. A similar mantel clock was in the collection of Marie-Antoinette and now in the Louvre. Another comperable case can be found in Musée Carnavalet and Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.