An important, high quality Louis XVI white marble and gilt bronze Pendule ‘à la Geoffrin’ of fourteen day duration by the royal clockmaker Robert Robin, housed in an extremely fine case attributed to the fondeur François Rémond after a model by Laurent Guiard, with a very fine dial painted by the enamellist Edme-Portal Barbichon, signed on the white enamel dial Robin / H^ger du Roi and also signed and dated Barbichon 1788. The dial with Arabic numerals for the outer 15 minute intervals and inner hour numerals, between which is a calendar ring for the 31 days of the month, as well as an inner ring marked above with names of the days of the week and below, with their corresponding symbols, with a very fine pair of pierced gilt brass hands with fleur de lis pointers for the hours and minutes and blued steel pointers for the calendar indications. The movement with anchor escapement, silk thread suspension, striking on the hour and half hour on a single bell, with outside count wheel. The magnificent case with the dial drum housed within a marble pedestal with an arched top surmounted by ribbon-tied foliate sprays and mounted either side of the dial by ribbon-tied flowers, fruits and grapes, to the left of the pedestal is an antique stool on which sits a reclining classical maiden, symbolising ‘The Employment of Time’, wearing sandals and a tunic dress with hem chased with laurel leaves, who reads a book placed on her lap while resting her left elbow on the pedestal, the whole upon a rectangular plinth upon a conformingly shaped stepped white marble base inset with a pierced gilt bronze frieze against a blued background, the mounts showing a central sunburst Apollo mask medallion held by two recumbent sphinxes, flanked by elaborate acanthus-wrapped and fruiting scrolls

Paris, date circa 1788 

Height 44 cm, width 64 cm, depth 20 cm.

Literature: Geoffrey de Bellaigue, “The James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor”, 1974, vol. I, p. 104-7, no. 17, illustrating and describing a similar clock with a gilt bronze mounted ebony base, signed on the dial Julien Le Roy.   Christian Baulez, “La Pendule à la Geoffrin, un modèle à succès” in “L’Estampille - L’Objet d’Art”, April 1989, pp. 34-41.   Jean-Dominique Augarde, “Les Ouvriers du Temps”, 1996, p. 90, pl. 54, illustrating a comparable clock of circa 1758-60, signed on the dial Le Roy Fils aux Galleries du Louvre housed in a gilt bronze case with a plain stepped gilt bronze base by Edme Roy, formerly owned by the eighteenth century court financier Nicolas Beaujon, now in the Musée de l’Histoire de France, Paris.   Peter Hughes, “The Wallace Collection Catalogue of Furniture”, 1996, vol. I, no. 99 (F267), pp. 440-44, illustrating and describing a similar clock of circa 1768, with movement by Ferdinand Berthoud and gilt bronze, probably by Edme Roy and an ebony base by Joseph Baumhauer.   Elke Niehüser, “Die Französische Bronzeuhr”, 1997, p. 39, pl. 45, illustrating a similar clock, the movement by Julien Le Roy housed in a gilt bronze case by Edme Roy on a gilt bronze and marble base. And p. 219, pl. 437, illustrating another version of the model on a different base.   Pierre Kjellberg, “Encyclopédie de la Pendule Française du Moyen Age au XXe Siècle”, 1997, p. 263, pl. B, illustrating a similar Louis XVI gilt bronze and marble clock with movement by Balthazar, with reference to another similar clock at Château de Fontainebleau.   

This elegant clock model, known as La Pendule ‘à la Geoffrin’, proved highly popular during the second half of the eighteenth century. The majority of such clocks housed movements by Ferdinand Berthoud (1727-1807), together with Julien Le Roy (1686-1759), with the bronze case being made by the fondeur Edme Roy (maître 1745, fl until after 1786). What distinguishes the present example is that it was made by the esteemed royal clockmaker Robert Robin (1741-1799). Before discussing Robin’s glittering career, it is worth noting that this case is more overtly Neo-classical in design than other similar, slightly earlier, examples and, furthermore, it features an elaborate frieze mount, encompassing a radiant Apollo mask, sphinxes and foliate scrolls, on the base which, rarely, if ever, is found on other similar examples. Significantly the frieze mounts are almost identical to one adorning Adam Weisweiler’s lacquered table, made for Queen Marie-Antoinette, now housed in the Musée du Louvre Museum (inv. OA 5509). Both the frieze and other bronze mounts on Weisweiler’s table were made by the reputed fondeur François Rémond (1747-1812). Given the quality of the present mounts and the close similarity to the Weisweiler piece, it is highly likely that Rémond was also the maker of the present bronze case, especially as he often supplied cases to Robert Robin.

The first known version of this enduringly popular clock model was identified by Christian Baulez in his article “La Pendule à la Geoffrin, un modèle à succès” (cited above) as belonging to Madame Geoffrin (1699-1777). In her will of February 1777, Marie Thérèse Rodet Geoffrin bequeathed her clock to Simon-Charles Boutin and described it as ‘représentant l’Emploi du Temps…. l’original de toutes celles qui ont été faites sur ce modèle’. Madame Geoffrin’s notebooks referred to it as ‘ma pendule de Guyard’, which Baulez identified as the sculptor Laurent Guiard (1723-88) who was celebrated after exhibiting a model for an equestrian statue of Louis XV at Versailles, January 1754. Madame Geoffrin almost certainly commissioned Guiard to provide the model for her clock in the same year. She subsequently commissioned another example in 1768 housing a movement by Musson, which was presented to Denis Diderot (Musée du Breuil de Saint-Germain, Langres). Baulez also proposed that the female figure representing ‘The Employment of Time’ might have been inspired by Jean-Marc Nattier’s portrait of Madame Geoffrin as ‘Study’, (1738; Fuji Art Museum Tokyo Japan). 

Prior to Baulez’s article, the earliest examples of this clock were considered to be two supplied in 1758 by the marchand-mercier Lazare Duvaux for the duc de Bourgogne and the comte du Luc (both with movements by Le Roy). Other members of Madame Geoffrin’s circle to own such clocks included the banker Jean-Joseph de Laborde, the financier Nicolas Beaujon (illustrated in Augarde, op.cit. p. 90) and the duc de la Vrillière. The duc de Choiseul also owned a similar model (seen in a miniature by van Blarenberghe on the Choiseul gold box, circa 1770-71) while anther was sold in the Blondel de Gagny sale (Paris December 1776-January 1777). The great English novelist and politician Horace Walpole also owned a model at Strawberry Hill, which he bought before 1774 for £50 (seen in a watercolour by John Carter showing the Refectory at Strawberry Hill, illustrated in Bellaigue, op.cit. p. 106), which is considered to be the one now at Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire. Ferdinand Berthoud also supplied a number of movements for such pieces, such as the example in the Wallace Collection, London. 

Although Julien Le Roy and Ferdinand Berthoud were the main clockmakers associated with this model, other eighteenth century makers included Le Nepveu, Moisy, Martin and Gilles l’Ainé (such as one owned by Charles III of Spain, in the Spanish Royal Collection). Another was the acclaimed royal clockmaker Robert Robin, who was responsible for the making the present clock. Robert Robin (1741-99) was a brilliant horologist who made significantly advances in the quest for accurate time measurement. Not only known for his technical prowess, Robin also had a keen artistic eye and only used the very finest and most ‘up to date’ cases, mounts and dials, which were supplied by the leading makers of his day. He was also an ambitious man of great influence who achieved almost unrivalled success with a string of titles and important official posts to his name. Appointed to no less than two monarchs, his talents and the patronage of the royal family enabled him to count among his clientele the cream of the Parisian high society. Little is known of his early life other than he was born in Chauny, north east of Paris and at the age of 23 was appointed to King Louis XV as Marchand-Horloger Privilégié du Roi. Robin resigned two years later and in 1767 was received as a maître-horloger. The most brilliant phase of his career began in 1778 when he was appointed Horloger du duc de Chartres and the Académie des Sciences approved two of his inventions. One was an astronomical clock, which was promptly acquired for Louis XVI. Robin became famed for his mantle clocks, which featured astronomical indications and compensated pendulums. He also applied the same principal to regulators; among them was an early example that was acquired by the duc d’Aumont. Equally interested in watchmaking, from 1786 he used a special type of escapement, which he also incorporated into his monumental clocks, supplying for example those at the Grand Commune at Versailles in 1782 and at the Petit Trianon in 1785.

By this date Robin had moved premises several times and was in the unprecedented position of being appointed to both Louis XVI and to his wife, Marie-Antoinette. He had been appointed Valet de Chambre-Horloger Ordinaire du Roi in 1783 and in 1786 was installed in lodgings in the Galeries du Louvre from where he was at the King’s disposal. Marie-Antoinette was so enchanted by his beautifully styled clocks that in 1786 she appointed him as her Valet de Chambre-Horloger Ordinaire du Reine. At least 23 clocks by Robin were listed in the 1793 inventory of her belongings; another ten were recorded as in the possession of Monsieur, Louis XVI’s brother. Other members of court and influential clients that owned his clocks included the maréchaux ducs de Duras and de Richelieu who acted as ‘Premiers Gentilshommes de la Chambre’, the marquis de Sérent, tutor to the ducs d’Angoulême and de Berry, and the marquis de Courtanvaux.

Robin spent his entire career in Paris; by 1772 he was established at Grande rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and by 1775 at rue des Fossés-Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois. 1778 saw him at rue Saint-Honoré at the Hôtel de l’Aligre until 1786 when he moved to the Galeries du Louvre to be at the King and Queen’s command.

Having gained immeasurably from the patronage of royalty and aristocracy, Robin subsequently showed little sympathy toward them during the Revolution. Whether this was out of fear or a genuine belief in the new political regime, he soon found favour with the new Republican government. Thus, from former royal clockmaker he was appointed Horloger de la République, 1794 and then Horloger du Directoire, 1796. Robin’s work from this period included a decimal clock made as a gift to the National Convention, 1793 and a ‘Louis XIV clock’, which he converted into a ‘Clock of Liberty’, 1798. Robin died in Paris on 17th July 1799; undoubtedly had he lived longer he would have excelled under the Emperor Napoleon. Robin’s sons, both brilliant clockmakers continued his dynasty and under the Restoration held the titles of Horloger du Roi and Horloger de Madame la duchesse d’Angoulême, daughter of Louis XVI.

As one of history’s truly great clockmakers, works by Robin continue to be prized among the world’s finest private and public collections such as the Château de Versailles, Musées du Louvre, Arts Décoratifs, National des Techniques, Conservatoire des Arts et Metiers and National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris, the Wallace Collection, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Guildhall, London as well Baron Rothschild’s former residence at Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire. The Musée d’Horlogerie; La Chaux-de-Fonds; the Deutsches Museum, Munich and the Museum der Angewandten Kunst, Vienna all own examples of his work as do the Patrimonio Nacional, Spain; Pavlovsk and the Hermitage, at Saint Petersburg. American collections include the Frick Collection, New York, Cleveland Museum of Art, the Huntington Collection, San Marino and the Institute of Art Indianapolis.

Robin’s success was partly due to his personality but more importantly due to his mechanical brilliance and artistic acumen. His clocks were only ever housed in the most beautiful and most modern cases and rarely, if ever, is his name associated with anything other than the very finest case and dial. His dials were supplied by such leading enamellists such as Joseph Coteau, Dubuisson, Elie Barbezat, Jean-Antoine Cave, Georges-Adrien Merlet and Edme-Portail Barbichon, who was responsible for the present calendar dial. Barbichon, who was established at rue Saint-Séverin in Paris, often collaborated with Robin as well as being the main supplier of enamelled dials to the royal clockmaker Jean-Antoine Lépine (1720-1814). 

Robin’s cases were supplied by leading makers. The ébénistes included Balthazar Lieutaud, Jean-Henri Riesener and Adam Weisweiler, while bronze cases were made by such fondeurs as Pierre-Philippe Thomire, Robert and Jean-Baptiste Osmond, Claude Galle and François Rémond. Like Robin, the fondeur-ciseleur François Rémond (1747-1812) was a leader in his field. The son of a voiturier or carriage-maker, Rémond began an apprenticeship with the doreur Pierre-Antoine Vial in 1763. Eleven years later Rémond was received as a maître-fondeur and rapidly rose in prominence so that by 1786 he enjoyed the fourth highest turnover out of over 800 Parisian bronziers. Working as both a fondeur-ciseleur as well as a doreur he was able to exercise considerable artistic control over his output. Rémond worked extensively for Dominique Daguerre and subsequently Martin-Eloi Lignereux through whom he supplied the cream of society. In addition to the duc de Penthièvre and princesse Kinsky, they included Queen Marie-Antoinette, the comte d’Artois and the comte d’Adhémar.