Image: French Empire mantel clock

Description: French Empire-style bronze mantel clock portraying the nereid Galatea (1822), Catherine Palace (Tsarskoye Selo, Russia). A piece similar to this one can be admired in the Royal Palace of Madrid (Spain). - Bronzier: Unknown. For the style and chiselling might be a work by Louis-Stanislas Lenoir-Ravrio. - Movement maker: Cailly, dated 1822 in the mainspring. - Retailer's name: "Hte (Hippolyte) Beaujeau à Lyon". It is known to have been working in Place des Terreaux (Lyon). - Artistic description: The figure of Galatea velificans whose classical robes adherred to the forms of her body, can be seen leaning against a detailed boulder (which houses the clock) on a rocky shore with waves lapping at her feet. She holds an undulating stola framing her serene face, giving an impression of a breezy scene. The figure's pose perhaps might be inspired by a fresco by Annibale Carracci titled "The Loves of the Gods", where Galatea is depicted. The rectangular base sits upon four bracket feet decorated with flowers and acanthus leafs. In the pedestal front, there is a frieze in bold relief whose composition is based on the celebrated fresco by Raphael titled "The Triumph of Galatea", based upon the love story between Acis and Galatea of the Greek mythology. In the center of the scene can be seen Galatea standing on a shell-chariot holding the reins of a pair of dolphins cleaving the choppy sea surface. The cloak rustled in the breeze wraps the lower-half of the Nereid's body leaving her torso visible while she is turning her head and several playful putti shoot love arrows. Likewise, next to Galatea appears another nereid sat on a triton who tries to trap her among his strong arms while she lets her light veil floating in the wind. Another triton appears rode on a winged-horse playing a conch shell as a trumpet. On the left in the background, a couple of ichthyocentaurs ride the waves. In first place, cupid is holding one of the dolphins to indicate that all the characters of the composition are subjected to his overwhelming empire. As a distinctive feature and related to the allegory's subject, is the unusual clock bezel decorated with shells, conches, scallops and other mollusks and marine plants, rather than the usual acanthus leaves, roses, geometrical patterns, etc., so characteristic in the Empire-style bezels. Silvered dial with guilloché engraving and Roman numerals stamped in black. Breguet-style hands.
Title: French Empire mantel clock
Credit: Own work
Author: Jafd88
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication
License: CC0
License Link: http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en
Attribution Required?: No