Watch 1615 - 1635

Curator: Welcome. Before us is a striking testament to the craftsmanship of the early 17th century: Anthoine Arlaud’s “Watch,” dated sometime between 1615 and 1635. Crafted from gold, silver, and other metals, it resides here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: The piece, at first glance, presents itself as a paradox. The ornate, decorative style feels like a dance between the sacred and the scientific, a playful attempt to capture time itself within a religious emblem. Curator: Indeed. The cross form isn't merely symbolic. It structures the entire composition, dictating how the viewer perceives the integration of faith and temporal awareness. Consider how Arlaud uses the materiality—the gleam of gold against the silver dial—to emphasize this duality. Editor: And the miniature scale adds another layer, right? Time, eternity, rendered in a tiny, precious object. I imagine someone fidgeting with it, holding infinity in their hands while worrying about being late for supper. Curator: Precisely. Its function extends beyond mere time-telling; it's a meditative tool. The decorative flourishes, while aesthetically pleasing, serve to underscore time's preciousness, its connection to the divine order. Semiotically, we see time encoded in religious dogma, almost like an intervention. Editor: I also see the object inviting touch and curiosity. Think of the glass overlay, making one contemplate visibility, layers of reality and of the commitment of a watchmaker in the 17th century. The ticking mechanism is the unseen spirit within the artifact's architecture. Curator: The intersection of craftsmanship and religious symbolism suggests a deeply embedded worldview, where scientific innovation and divine purpose weren't seen as mutually exclusive, but as facets of a unified reality. Editor: It does make one ponder about time as an artist! Are we prisoners, liberated minds, sculptors, mere travelers? Maybe Anthoine Arlaud knew it better as he had the bravery to mix the unspeakable. Curator: A pertinent observation. It leaves one with an expanded perception, the watch no longer being only about time, but of the conceptual intersections it creates. Editor: Absolutely. Art always surprises with more art.