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Clock and bronze sculpture signed Jean-Jules Salmson – Black marble – Barrard and Vignon Paris clockwork – Circa
€1,950Bid from €1,755
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ProfessionalProduct description
Some clocks don't merely transcend time. They carry within them the elegance of a century where art, technique, and emotion still formed a unified whole. This important late 19th-century French mantel clock perfectly illustrates this alliance. It consists of an imposing architectural black marble base surmounted by a signed bronze group depicting a maternity scene of great expressive intensity. A seated mother holds her child in a gesture of protection and tenderness. The bronze bears its cursive signature on the base, a fundamental element linking this work to Jean-Jules Salmson, one of the great names in 19th-century French academic sculpture. Jean-Jules Salmson (1823–1902) was trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris under Jacques Ramey, Auguste Dumont, and Toussaint. He regularly exhibited at the Salon starting in 1859, where he received several distinctions, and participated in the monumental embellishment of Paris through numerous public commissions. His work is notably visible at the Opéra Garnier, the Louvre, the Tribunal de Commerce (Commercial Court), and in several official buildings. His bronzes are distinguished by the precision of their modeling, the psychological subtlety of the figures, and a very pronounced narrative sensibility. The subject presented here finds a direct parallel with known models by Salmson. The modeling of the drapery, the anatomical construction, the relationship between the figures, and the quality of the casting perfectly reflect this French academic school where technical virtuosity primarily served emotion. The movement is signed Barrard et Vignon, Horology Manufacturers, 7 rue Commines, Paris, number 3617. A Parisian firm active in the second half of the 19th century, Barrard et Vignon supplied quality movements intended for bourgeois mantel clocks and ceremonial ensembles. The visible numbering confirms consistent and authentic production. The mechanism is complete. The pendulum is present, the striking bell is present, and its operation has been verified. The clock is supplied without a key. The bronze alone weighs approximately 5 kg, attesting to a dense and substantial antique casting, with a preserved homogeneous deep brown patina. Total weight of the ensemble approximately 20 kg. French production, circa 1885–1900. A piece that is at once decorative, sculptural, and horological, combining the sensibility of a great 19th-century sculptor with the precision of Parisian clockmaking. Placed on a mantelpiece, a sideboard, or a console table, this clock asserts its presence with a quiet authority. Light plays across the gilded highlights of the dial and the folds of the bronze drapery, revealing the quality of the modeling with each passing hour.
Additional details:
- Brand: Jean-Jules Salmson
- Designer: Jean-Jules Salmson
- Style: Art Académique
- Style: Fin du XIXe siècle
- Colour: Brun
- Period:
Specifications
ConditionVery goodColorsGold, BlackMaterialBronze, Marble
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About this seller
ProfessionalSaint symphorien des bois, FranceOn Whoppah since August 2026 • 0 sales