EXCEPTIONAL "L'EMPLOI DU TEMPS" FIREPLACE TRIM, NAPOLEON III PERIOD

A gilt and patinated bronze mantel clock, the clock adorned with Chronos holding a scythe and a draped female figure in the antique style, symbolizing "The Use of Time." The white enamel dial is surrounded by floral and foliate swags. The clock rests on a base decorated with egg-and-dart friezes and a foot with broad scrolls embellished with acanthus leaves, centered on a female face wearing a shell headdress. Original movement, cleaned, serviced, and in working order. The five-light candelabra with foliate arms are supported by a nymph standing on shell-shaped foliage. Each candelabra rests on a four-footed base in the form of foliate scrolls. Napoleon III period. Our clock is inspired by a highly successful model, many examples of which are found in 18th-century inventories: the clock known as the "Geoffrin" or " "The Schedule." This clock features a young woman seated on a rectangular base, reading a book while leaning on the dial. She is adorned with a draped antique-style dress and her hair is styled in a chignon. The female figure symbolizes "The Schedule." Laurent Guyard created this model, which includes a Musson movement, for Marie-Thérèse Geoffrin. The female figure is directly inspired by her portrait. Madame Geoffrin hosted one of the fashionable salons in her townhouse on the rue Saint-Honoré in Paris, where she entertained artists, scholars, writers, and philosophers. Clock: W: 52cm, D: 17cm, H: 64cm. Candelabra: W: 29cm, D: 29cm, H: 70cm. Napoleon III period, circa 1850.