The present figure was conceived as part of a clock, with the pendulum held in the raised hand and the entire figure placed atop an elaborate marble base inset with the clock, calander, barometer and international time piece.

The work was executed for Eugene Cornu's Sociéte des Marbres-Onyx d'Algérie (as per the inscription on the present bronze). First exhibited in 1867, the clock was entered in subsequent international exhibitions, including the Exposition Universelle of 1878.

The quality of the craftsmanship, the expert casting and chasing and the opulence of the patina indicate that this was intended as a luxury item. This exceptional figure confirms the artist's commitment to the decorative arts.