Clock-watch 1735 - 1765

Editor: This is a gold clock-watch, made between 1735 and 1765, by Charles Cabrier. What immediately grabs my attention is how the ornate gold casing contrasts with the stark white clock face. How would you describe the relationship between those elements? Curator: Indeed. Note the tension created by this juxtaposition. The gold casing, rendered in a flamboyant Rococo style, serves not only as protection, but as frame enhancing the intrinsic geometry of the watch face. The whiteness of the face throws this geometry into sharp relief. Editor: So, it's the visual interplay between form and function? Curator: Precisely. One might further examine the curvature of the case against the dial's flat plane. The interplay of shadow and light accentuates this, does it not? The watch represents both linear precision of measurement and this ebullient, exuberant shape. Editor: It's interesting how much visual complexity can be contained in a small, functional object. Are there ways the construction materials affect that complexity? Curator: Gold, being malleable and enduring, permits intricacy of design impossible in less pliable metals. Consider, too, how its reflective quality enhances light, calling attention to both surface detail and the object's place within space. Can we understand its structure divorced from considerations of surface texture? Editor: I see what you mean; it all works together to create the overall impact. I’ll definitely pay more attention to how materials contribute to design. Curator: Excellent! Visual art offers just this opportunity.