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Lot Essay
Jean-Louis Lebeuf, maître in 1731. Ferdinand Berthoud, maître in 1753, horloger du Roi et de la Marine.
JEAN-LOUIS LEBEUF The signature of Le Beuf is that of the bronzier Jean-Louis Lebeuf (1706-1778) and this cartel clock is the only object known to be signed by him in this way. The remarkable juxtaposition between the vigorously handled rococo ornament and the powerfully controlled cartouche outline, all on a massive scale, gives this clock an exceptional balance while nonetheless retaining an asymmetric profile. Born in 1706, Lebeuf was from a large family of crafstmen working in Paris in the eighteenth century. His father Simon Lebeuf was maître-horloger and his grandfather Louis Lebeuf maître-fondeur-ciseleur. Having become maître, he married on 1 July 1731, Marie-Thérères Gremont, whose father was a sculptor and whose brother was later to work at the Sèvres factory. They lived first in rue des Amandiers and then rue de la Calandre. He died on 20 January 1778.
FERDINAND BERTHOUD
Born in the Jura on 18 March 1727, Ferdinand Berthoud became an apprentice clockmaker at the age of fourteen. Moving to Paris in 1745 he became maître-horloger on 4 December 1753, shortly after having presented a clock at the Académie des Sciences. He acquired a celebrated reputation and, like his colleague Jean-Baptiste Baillon, he established a large and succesful business at rue du Harlay. He worked in conjunction with the most famous fondeurs-ciseleurs and ébénistes of his day, such as Jean-Joseph de Saint-Germain, Charles Cressent and Balthazar Lieutaud.
JEAN-LOUIS LEBEUF The signature of Le Beuf is that of the bronzier Jean-Louis Lebeuf (1706-1778) and this cartel clock is the only object known to be signed by him in this way. The remarkable juxtaposition between the vigorously handled rococo ornament and the powerfully controlled cartouche outline, all on a massive scale, gives this clock an exceptional balance while nonetheless retaining an asymmetric profile. Born in 1706, Lebeuf was from a large family of crafstmen working in Paris in the eighteenth century. His father Simon Lebeuf was maître-horloger and his grandfather Louis Lebeuf maître-fondeur-ciseleur. Having become maître, he married on 1 July 1731, Marie-Thérères Gremont, whose father was a sculptor and whose brother was later to work at the Sèvres factory. They lived first in rue des Amandiers and then rue de la Calandre. He died on 20 January 1778.
FERDINAND BERTHOUD
Born in the Jura on 18 March 1727, Ferdinand Berthoud became an apprentice clockmaker at the age of fourteen. Moving to Paris in 1745 he became maître-horloger on 4 December 1753, shortly after having presented a clock at the Académie des Sciences. He acquired a celebrated reputation and, like his colleague Jean-Baptiste Baillon, he established a large and succesful business at rue du Harlay. He worked in conjunction with the most famous fondeurs-ciseleurs and ébénistes of his day, such as Jean-Joseph de Saint-Germain, Charles Cressent and Balthazar Lieutaud.