An 18th-century clock acquired by the Musée Paul-Dupuy

5/10/23 - Acquisition - Toulouse, Musée Paul Dupuy - Usually embodied by a moderately friendly bearded old man, beating the air with his wings and scythe, Time is evoked here by four much more cheerful young women; two of them are dressed in antique-style drapery, the other two completely naked, holding a wreath of flowers in their hands (ill. 1 and 2). Sculpted in marble by Jean-Philippe Le Sueur, they are perhaps the personifications of the seasons. They carry a globe - terrestrial or celestial? - and each one points to a dial on which the hours are ticking away.

1. Jacques-Philippe Le Sueur (1757-1830)
Four seasons clock with rotating hours, c. 1790
Clock movement signed by the Lepaute brothers
Marble, polychrome enamelled metal, chased and gilded bronze - 153 x 65 cm
Toulouse, Musée Paul-Dupuy
Photo: Kahn & associés

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2. Jacques-Philippe Le Sueur (1757-1830)
Four seasons clock with rotating hours, c. 1790
Clock movement signed by the Lepaute brothers
Marble, polychrome enamelled metal, chased and gilded bronze - 153 x 65 cm
Toulouse, Musée Paul-Dupuy
Photo: Kahn & associés

See the image in its page

Sold for 194,275 euros (including costs) in a sale organised by Kahn & Associés on 20 January 2023 at Drouot, this monumental clock was preempted by the City of Toulouse, with the support of the Fondation du Patrimoine. It has joined the Musée Paul-Dupuy, renowned for its collection of watches and clocks, and is now housed in the Cabinet du temps. The institution, which reopened its doors in 2022 after a series of works (see article), has also expanded its name to become the Musée des Arts précieux Paul-Dupuy. The notion of "precious arts" remains to be defined, however.

3. Clock movement signed
the Le Paute brothers
Photo: Kahn & associés

See the image in its page

The mechanism of this clock is in any case meticulous, the work of "Lepaute, horloger du roi". The signature…