Mantel clock (horloge de cheminée) 1740 - 1750

This gilded bronze mantel clock was created by Jean-Joseph de Saint Germain in 18th century France. During this time, the French monarchy and aristocracy sought elaborate, decorative art, marking a departure from the preceding Baroque period. The clock is supported by two kneeling figures wearing jester-like garb, with a seated child-like figure atop the clock face. These figures deviate from traditional heroic representations. Instead, they evoke a sense of playfulness. Yet these representations obscure the realities of the working class. The figures, frozen in time and gilded in bronze, become adornments for the wealthy, divorced from any authentic, lived experience. Ultimately, this mantel clock embodies the complexities of 18th-century French society, reflecting both its artistic innovation and its inherent social stratification, reminding us of the stories, and the labor, hidden behind the gloss of gilded surfaces.