Watch 1625 - 1645

Editor: Okay, so this piece is a watch – simply called "Watch" – made sometime between 1625 and 1645 by Johann Possdorfer. It’s made with metal, glass, and enamel and is currently housed at the Met. I'm struck by how it manages to be both ornate and delicate at the same time, like a little jewel. What stands out to you about it? Curator: It whispers secrets, doesn't it? This isn't just a timepiece; it's a meditation on time itself. The Baroque loved extravagance, yes, but beneath the gold and enamel was always that memento mori, a reminder of life's fleeting nature. See how the light refracts through the glass? Editor: I do. It’s almost jewel-like! Curator: Exactly! It's trying to capture something elusive. Do you think the artisan, Possdorfer, ever looked at his creation and thought about his own time running out? About capturing something lasting? That urge is woven into every gear, every tiny painted flower on its face. Time captured, isn’t it a paradox? Editor: It’s interesting that you focus on time running out. I thought that a watch would just capture time… Curator: But that capturing is so fragile, isn't it? Glass breaks, metal tarnishes. Each tick is also a tock. That's the drama of the Baroque, darling! But what does it mean to you, stripped of all my melancholy thoughts? Editor: Well, I think it’s kind of beautiful knowing that this intricate and ornate creation has survived all this time, despite that fragility. Curator: Exactly! We’re all fleeting. Art endures. Another paradox, wouldn’t you say?