'Grand Cartel D'Applique in carved and gilt bronze, Louis XV period'
Attributed to Jean-Joseph de Saint-Germain in a clock case. Exceptionally large cartel on the wall in chiselled and gilded bronze, of great finesse. Paris, Louis XV period, circa 1755. Jean-Joseph de Saint-Germain (Paris 1719-1791 ) Is probably the most famous Parisian bronze artist from the mid-18th century. Active from 1742, he was appointed master in July 1748. He is best known for the creation of numerous cases of bells and cartels that made him famous, most notably the cartel called Diana the Huntress (see a copy preserved in the Musée du Louvre), the clock supported by two Chinese (see a model of this type at the Musée des Arts decoratifs in Lyon), as well as several animal-themed clocks, mainly depicting elephants and rhinoceroses (for example, in the Louvre). By the early 1760s he also played a key role in the revival of the Parisian decorative arts and in the development of the neoclassical movement, most notably by making the pendulum known as the Genius of Denmark after a model by Augustin Pajou for Frédéric V of Denmark. (1765, kept in the Amalienborg in Copenhagen). Saint-Germain makes several clocks inspired by the theme Study, after a model by Louis-Félix de La Rue (examples in the Louvre, at the Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon and in the Metropolitan Museum in New York). Watchmakers, Saint-Germain also produces many bronzes for furniture - including andirons, appliqués and candlesticks - always showing the same creativity and showcasing his exceptional talents as a bronze maker. He retired in 1776.
Artist: Jean-Joseph De Saint-germain
Period: 18th century
Style: Louis XV - Transition
Condition: Very good condition
Material: gilded bronze
Width: 60 cm
Height: 116cm
Signature: Festau a Paris.
An almost identical clock is depicted on the cover of the Encyclopédie de La Pendule Francaise, Pierre Kjelberg.
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