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RICHARD REDDING ANTIQUES |
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RICHARD REDDING ANTIQUES |
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A superb Louis XV gilt bronze cartel clock of eight day duration, signed on the white enamel dial Gudin à Paris. The dial with Arabic and Roman numerals and a fine pair of pierced gilt brass hands for the hours and minutes. The single spring barrel movement with anchor escapement, silk thread suspension, striking on request with outside count wheel. The very fine asymmetrical gilt bronze case of foliate cartouche outline surmounted by rocaille and berried foliate scrolls Paris, date circa 1740 Height 44 cm. During his relatively short life Jacques Gudin (1706-43) produced luxurious models to the exclusion of little else, supplying clocks and watches to the cream of society such as the duc d’Orléans and the duchesse de Bouillon. He was the son of a merchant, Claude Gudin from Saint-Cyr-en-Bourgogne, where he and his younger brother Paul, known as Gudin le Jeune (d. circa 1755) were born. Jacques Gudin was received as a maître in October 1725 in application of a decree of May that year. By 1731 he was established at Mauregard near Meaux and then by 1735 at Quai des Orfèvres. Gudin was fortunate in marrying Henriette Lenoir, who belonged to an important Parisian family involved in the wood and wine trade. His business may also have been assisted via connections through one of her cousins who belonged to the Perrinet family of which two were Secrétaires du Roy, Maison et Couronne de France. When Jacques Gudin died he left a flourishing and growing business. Though his marriage may have aided his career, his success was largely on account of hard work as evidenced by the fact that in 1731 he owned 8000 livres but by the time of his death in 1743 he left 82,000 livres. His stock was valued at 23,045 livres while bills payable to him amounted to 43,449 livres. Gudin’s output was prolific though always of the finest quality. He produced between 80 to 100 watches a year and supplied clocks to the finest clientele. Among them was a large marquetry clock with bloodstone pillars and bronze figures, surmounted by a gilt bronze statue of Phaeton driving a quadriga, which he supplied to the duchesse de Bouillon in 1741 for the sum of 2000 livres. Noted for their luxurious quality, Gudin’s workshop only used clock cases made by the finest craftsmen. Gilt bronze cases were supplied by such eminent figures as Jacques and Philippe Caffiéri, Jean-Joseph de Saint-Germain, Robert Osmond, Jacques Dumont and Edme Roy. The ébéniste Balthazar Lieutaud also supplied clock cases while J. Allemand and P. de Monchanin supplied the majority of watch cases and Jullien a number of enamelled dials. Like Julien Le Roy, Gudin employed Henri Sully’s former workman, Benjamin Bond for some finishing work. Following his early death Gudin’s widow enjoyed the same success when she continued the business under her name until she retired at the beginning of the 1770’s. Like her husband she supplied many of the same clients including the marchands-merciers Henri Lebrun, Lazare Duvaux and Thomas-Joachim Hébert. Among recorded clocks was one decorated with porcelain flowers, which Hébert delivered circa 1745-7 to the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne. Jacques and Henriette Gudin’s son Jacques-Jérôme Gudin (1732-d. after 1789), who signed his dials ‘Gudin Fils’ was the only one to pursue his parents’ career. Of the other sons, Paul-Philippe Gudin de La Brennelerie became a poet, while the youngest, Philippe-Jean Gudin de La Ferlière became Directeur Général des Diligences et Messageries Royales de France. Among the more important collections to house Jacques Gudin’s work are the Parisian Musées du Louvre, de National des Techniques and Petit Palais. Other examples can be found in the Royal Collections at Stockholm, the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Catherine the Great’s Palace Tsarskoe-Selo, the National Museum at Poznan and at Schleissheim Schloss. |