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RICHARD REDDING ANTIQUES |
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RICHARD REDDING ANTIQUES |
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An extremely rare Louis XV gilt bronze figural cartel clock of a eight day duration, signed a cartouche on the white enamel plaque below the dial Estienne Le Noir à Paris and again signed on the movement Etienne Le Noir Paris, housed in a magnificent case attributed to the esteemed fondeur-ciseleur Jean-Jacques de Saint-Germain. The beautiful white enamel dial signed and dated on the reverse a. n martiniere 1740, with blue inner Roman and outer Arabic numerals and a fine pair of pierced gilt brass hands for the hours and minutes. The movement, timepiece only with pull repeat, striking on two bells. The magnificent case with original fire gilding of foliate cartouche outline surmounted by a goddess poised among clouds and looking down toward two winged cherubs amid billowing clouds below the dial Paris, dated 1740 Height 55 cm, width 25 cm. Literature: Pierre Kjellberg, “Encyclopédie de la Pendule Française du Moyen Age au XXe Siècle”, 1997, p 100, pl. D, illustrating a clock signed Julien Le Roy à Paris, housed in an almost identical case, with reference to another clock with similar case in the Musée de Carnavalet, Paris as well as others signed by the Parisian horlogers Audinet, Mynuel and Fiacre Clément and a larger case model with variations signed Causard. The same publication: p. 101, pl. G, illustrating a very similar grand cartel case, housing a clock signed on the dial Charles Le Roy. This very rare and beautiful clock, in excellent original condition, combines the skills of several important craftsmen who all excelled in their individual fields. One of the most exciting aspects is the appearance of the date 1740 beside the signature of the enamellist Antoine-Nicolas Martinière (1706-84), indicating that this was one of the very first complete enamel clock dials to have been made. Very shortly before this, Martinière - a remarkable inventor and enamellist presented King Louis XV with the first known complete enamelled clock dial. The king was so impressed with his achievements that he appointed him Emailleur et Pensioneur du Roi. Because of the fragile and volatile nature of enamel, prior to this date complete enamelled dials had been restricted to watches. By the late seventeenth century clock dials featured separate enamel plaques to display the hours, then followed an attempt to create complete dials out of 13 or 25 individual pieces which were fitted together to form a seemingly smooth surface. Martinière’s unprecedented advance is best summed up in his own words, which appeared in the Mercure de France, 1740. In his ‘Lettre écrite de Paris à un horloger de Province sur les Cadrans d’Email’, Martinière wrote “You ask me, Sir, to find out from the Porcelain Manufacturers if they could make you a Clock Dial one foot in diameter, because you tell me that you know it is impossible to make any of this size all in enamel, like Watch Dials. It is true that until recently this was impossible in the City, and even at Court: here is an example. The King ordered a Clock, and H. M. wished that the Dial be all of one piece, in enamel, and 14 inches in diameter. The one who received the order could only reply that he would attempt to carry it out, not that he would succeed. The Sr Martinière, Enameller, in the rue Dauphine, undertook this task, and succeeded so well in all respects, that he had the honour of presenting it himself to His Majesty, who was agreeably surprised, and gave him signs of satisfaction with so much kindness that he returned to Paris, enchanted with so happy a success, and resolved to carry out new studies in order to advance as much in his Art as would be possible...” It was probably at this time that the King granted Martinière a pension and the title of Emailleur et Pensioneur du Roi. Louis XV, whose interest in horology extended beyond the realms of a collector but also as a benefactor, rewarded certain craftsmen of outstanding talent. In addition to Martinière, the Royal Treasury also granted pensions to a select number of clockmakers such as Julien and Pierre III Le Roy, Ferdinand Berthoud, Jean V Martinot and Pierre Millot. An elaborate corner cupboard fitted with a clock signed Etienne Le Noir with dial by Martinière is among the many treasures at the J. Paul Getty Museum, California. In addition to Le Noir, Martinière also supplied enamel dials to other esteemed clockmakers including Bailly, Lepaute and Julien Le Roy. A clock by the latter with enamel by Martinière is among the many fine clocks in the Waddesdon Manor Collection, Buckinghamshire. Other examples of his enamelled work can be found in the Wallace Collection, London and at the Musée de Château de Versailles. Martinière and his wife, Geneviève Larsé had one son, Jacques-Nicolas (b. 1738) who became a clockmaker. At the time of his son’s birth the Martinières were living in rue Haute des Ursins. By 1740 Martinière was established at the sign of the ‘Cadran d’Email’ in rue Dauphine and then from 1741-55 in rue des Cinq Diamants in the parish of Saint-Jacques de la Boucherie. The clock movement was made in the famous Le Noir workshop, almost certainly by Etienne II Le Noir (1699-1778), son of the esteemed clockmaker Etienne I Le Noir (1675-1739). Though the latter died the year before the dial was completed, a joint collaboration between father and son cannot be ruled out, especially in view of the comparison between the spelling on the dial (i.e. Estienne Le Noir) and on another cartel ascribed to Etienne I, in the Linsky Collection, Metropolitan Museum, New York (illustrated Jean-Dominique Augarde, “Les Ouvriers du Temps”, 1996, p. 349, pl. 261). The Le Noirs belonged to a great dynasty of Parisian horlogers that included nineteen clockmakers spanning five generations. Of them Etienne I, Etienne II and the latter’s son, Etienne-Pierre (b. circa 1724 - d. after1789) enjoyed enormous repute, with production reaching its apogee during the partnership between Etienne II and his son. Etienne I was received as a maître-horloger in 1698, at which date he was established at Place Dauphine Aux Tuileriers and then in 1737 at rue de Harlay. Despite his considerable fortune, his children chose to renounce their inheritance asserting that it would be “more of a burden than a benefit”. Etienne II certainly justified this decision having amassed a personal fortune of 320,904 livres at the time of his own death He was received as a maître in 1717, aged only eighteen and then in 1750 went into association with his son Etienne-Pierre. From their workshop at Quai des Orfèvres, they supplied clocks and watches throughout the Europe. The courts of France, Spain, Naples, Saxony, Bavaria, Hesse-Cassel and other German principalities were among many to purchase works signed by the Le Noirs, which today can be found among the world’s greatest collections. For instance, they can be admired in Paris at the Musées du Louvre, Nissim-de-Camondo and Palais du Luxembourg, as well as at Château de Versailles and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Lyon. Other pieces are housed at the Musées Royaux d’Art et d’Histoire in Brussels, the Museum für Kunsthandwerk at Dresden, Schloss Wilhelmsthal, Calden and the Patrimonio Nacional Spain. The Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire, the J. Paul Getty Museum California and the Metropolitan Museum in New York are among other great collections to own works signed Etienne Le Noir. Etienne II and Pierre-Etienne worked in close association with various marchands-merciers including T. J. Hébert through whom the firm supplied the Garde-Meuble. Their clock cases were supplied by many of the greatest makers of the day, such as the ébénistes Charles Cressent, Bernard I and II van Risamburgh, Jean-Pierre Latz, Jacques and Adrien Dubois, Balthazar Lieutaud. Gilt bronze cases were supplied by such figures as Jean-Jacques de Saint-Germain, Robert and Jean-Baptiste Osmond, Antoine Foullet, Nicolas Bonnet, Michel Poisson and the Caffiéris. Specialised parts for movements such as springs were supplied by the Richards, C. Buzot and P. Masson, while Jacques Decla, like Martinière supplied a number of exquisite dials. |