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Lot Essay
François Vion (circa 1737-after 1790), maître in 1764. Jean-Baptiste Lepaute (1727-1802⁄3), maître in 1776.
THE HISTORY OF THIS MODEL
The design for this clock, attributed to the fondeur François Vion, is reproduced in an album of designs now conserved in the Bibliothèque Doucet, Paris (VI E 15, Rés.fol20/1). Called a 'Pièce de bureau', its subject described as 'Le temps qui passe entre l'amour et les Grâces', the clock cost 902 livres, of which the chasing cost 660 livres and the gilding between 200 and 222 livres.
An identical clock at the château de Fontainebleau (inv. F918 C) was purchased by General Moreau; subsequently acquired by the garde-meuble following its arrived at Fontainebleau, it was recorded in the appartements of Général Moreau in 1804 (J.-P. Samoyault, Le Mobilier du Général Moreau, Paris, 1992, p. 42, fig. 33). In the nineteenth century, Molinier had identified the Fontainebleau clock with that delivered by the marchand-mercier Simon-Philippe Poirier to Madame du Barry on 4 October 1769 at a cost of 2400 livres, when it was described as une pendule représentant les grâces dorée d'or de Germain. M. Samoyault's research has called this traditional attribution in question, and it seems rather more likely that the clock delivered to Madame du Barry would have been closer to models signed by the horlogers Brille or Dutertre, both of whom are known to have worked for Poirier.
Related clocks are conserved in the musée du Louvre, Paris (illustrated in S. Eriksen, Early Neoclassicism in France, London, 1974, pl. 198, p. 348); the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto (illustrated in 'French Clocks in North American Collections', Exhibition Catalogue, 1982-83, pp. 80-81); the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris; the château de Fontainebleau; and the Huntington Gallery, San Marino (illustrated in R. Wark, French Decorative Art in the Huntington Collection, San Marino, 1979, p. 70, fig. 91). A further example was sold by the Duques de Cadaval, Christie's, London, 14 March 1996, lot 148 (£41,800).
THE LEPAUTE DYNASTY
Spelled both 'Le Paute' and 'Lepaute', this celebrated dynasty of horlogers was founded by Jean-André in 1740. Settled in Paris and appointed horloger du Roi with lodgings in the Luxembourg Palace, he earned renown for a number of technical innovations, such as the échappement à repos of 1753, as well as his writings, including an impressive Traité d'Horlogerie, published in 1755, which earned him the title maître and lodgings at the Louvre by 1759. His brother also became horloger du Roi and succeeded him in the Galeries du Louvre lodgings in 1775. The next generation of Horlogers strengthened the reputation of the Le Paute Dynasty. Henry Lepaute and his cousin Pierre-Basille bought, then subsequently divided, their uncle's company, creating the signatures 'Henry Lepaute à Paris' and 'Lepaute Oncle & Neveu'. This latter line of the dynasty continued to prosper, with Pierre-Basile and his son employing the signature 'Lepaute & à Paris', and during the Empire becoming the main supplier of clocks to the garde-meuble.
THE VIENNESE ROTHSCHILDS
This clock formed part of the fabled collection of the Barons Nathaniel (d. 1905) and Albert (d. 1911) von Rothschild of Vienna. The family fortune was based on businesses established by Mayer Amschel Rothschild in Frankfurt in the 1760s. His five sons, the 'five arrows', extended the family's interests throughout Europe, primarily based upon finance, but the majority of the collections were assembled by the third or fourth generations of the family, well into the nineteenth century. This timing coincided with a period of great opportunity for collections, when the royal and noble houses of Europe and the landowning families of England experienced financial difficulties and dispersed their treasures.
The Viennese branch was truly established by Nathaniel and Albert's grandfather, Salomon, who himself left Vienna after the civil disorder of 1848. Their father, Anselm, then firmly established the family business interests in Austria. He embarked on the first large building programs for the Rothschilds in Vienna with the construction of the gallery which was attached to his Venetian residence in the Renngasse, as a home for his extensive art collection. Upon his death in 1874, Nathaniel began the construction of a 'considerable mansion' in the Theresianumgasse in Vienna, while his brother built an immense palace almost opposite in the Heugasse. Further residences in Austria included the Hohe Warte and in Moravia the Schloss Schillersdorf. Nathaniel died childless. His brother Albert, who inherited the collection, had three sons, Alphonse, Louis and Eugene. Alphonse and his wife Clarice fled the Austria and eventually settled in New York. Much of the collection of the Barons Nathaniel and Albert von Rothschild was sold in Christie's, London, 8 July 1999, having been restituted from the Austrian Government.
THE HISTORY OF THIS MODEL
The design for this clock, attributed to the fondeur François Vion, is reproduced in an album of designs now conserved in the Bibliothèque Doucet, Paris (VI E 15, Rés.fol20/1). Called a 'Pièce de bureau', its subject described as 'Le temps qui passe entre l'amour et les Grâces', the clock cost 902 livres, of which the chasing cost 660 livres and the gilding between 200 and 222 livres.
An identical clock at the château de Fontainebleau (inv. F918 C) was purchased by General Moreau; subsequently acquired by the garde-meuble following its arrived at Fontainebleau, it was recorded in the appartements of Général Moreau in 1804 (J.-P. Samoyault, Le Mobilier du Général Moreau, Paris, 1992, p. 42, fig. 33). In the nineteenth century, Molinier had identified the Fontainebleau clock with that delivered by the marchand-mercier Simon-Philippe Poirier to Madame du Barry on 4 October 1769 at a cost of 2400 livres, when it was described as une pendule représentant les grâces dorée d'or de Germain. M. Samoyault's research has called this traditional attribution in question, and it seems rather more likely that the clock delivered to Madame du Barry would have been closer to models signed by the horlogers Brille or Dutertre, both of whom are known to have worked for Poirier.
Related clocks are conserved in the musée du Louvre, Paris (illustrated in S. Eriksen, Early Neoclassicism in France, London, 1974, pl. 198, p. 348); the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto (illustrated in 'French Clocks in North American Collections', Exhibition Catalogue, 1982-83, pp. 80-81); the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris; the château de Fontainebleau; and the Huntington Gallery, San Marino (illustrated in R. Wark, French Decorative Art in the Huntington Collection, San Marino, 1979, p. 70, fig. 91). A further example was sold by the Duques de Cadaval, Christie's, London, 14 March 1996, lot 148 (£41,800).
THE LEPAUTE DYNASTY
Spelled both 'Le Paute' and 'Lepaute', this celebrated dynasty of horlogers was founded by Jean-André in 1740. Settled in Paris and appointed horloger du Roi with lodgings in the Luxembourg Palace, he earned renown for a number of technical innovations, such as the échappement à repos of 1753, as well as his writings, including an impressive Traité d'Horlogerie, published in 1755, which earned him the title maître and lodgings at the Louvre by 1759. His brother also became horloger du Roi and succeeded him in the Galeries du Louvre lodgings in 1775. The next generation of Horlogers strengthened the reputation of the Le Paute Dynasty. Henry Lepaute and his cousin Pierre-Basille bought, then subsequently divided, their uncle's company, creating the signatures 'Henry Lepaute à Paris' and 'Lepaute Oncle & Neveu'. This latter line of the dynasty continued to prosper, with Pierre-Basile and his son employing the signature 'Lepaute & à Paris', and during the Empire becoming the main supplier of clocks to the garde-meuble.
THE VIENNESE ROTHSCHILDS
This clock formed part of the fabled collection of the Barons Nathaniel (d. 1905) and Albert (d. 1911) von Rothschild of Vienna. The family fortune was based on businesses established by Mayer Amschel Rothschild in Frankfurt in the 1760s. His five sons, the 'five arrows', extended the family's interests throughout Europe, primarily based upon finance, but the majority of the collections were assembled by the third or fourth generations of the family, well into the nineteenth century. This timing coincided with a period of great opportunity for collections, when the royal and noble houses of Europe and the landowning families of England experienced financial difficulties and dispersed their treasures.
The Viennese branch was truly established by Nathaniel and Albert's grandfather, Salomon, who himself left Vienna after the civil disorder of 1848. Their father, Anselm, then firmly established the family business interests in Austria. He embarked on the first large building programs for the Rothschilds in Vienna with the construction of the gallery which was attached to his Venetian residence in the Renngasse, as a home for his extensive art collection. Upon his death in 1874, Nathaniel began the construction of a 'considerable mansion' in the Theresianumgasse in Vienna, while his brother built an immense palace almost opposite in the Heugasse. Further residences in Austria included the Hohe Warte and in Moravia the Schloss Schillersdorf. Nathaniel died childless. His brother Albert, who inherited the collection, had three sons, Alphonse, Louis and Eugene. Alphonse and his wife Clarice fled the Austria and eventually settled in New York. Much of the collection of the Barons Nathaniel and Albert von Rothschild was sold in Christie's, London, 8 July 1999, having been restituted from the Austrian Government.