As an Antique dealer one occasionally comes across the opportunity to purchase a real (unrecognised) masterpiece - in 2005 this was one of those occasions - at the sale of The David Style Collection, at the late lamented Christie's, South Kensington, 7th June 2005, lot 214 where I was lucky enough to purchase this clock.
It had been much overpainted and most of the fine detail had been obscured, but the thick overpaint had protected the surface. The eagles head had at some point had been detached and clumsily glued back on and the urn surmounting the clock was missing.
After its purchase and after some experimentation I used a peel and strip paint stripper, which required very careful stripping and cleaning with a pressure house and the removal of the paint in the crevices using a Swan Morton scalpel.
This revealed the exquisite and very fine detail of this masterpiece by John Bacon I in Coade's Artificial stone.
Once the clock case had been stripped of the paint I took it to the workshops of Messrs coade of Wilton House where I supervised the restoration and replacement of the missing urn on the top of the case in Coade Stone by the very talented Alastair Rennie.
The urn was copied from one in the Coade catalogue of 1784.
It was first modelled in clay at 10% larger than the required size and reduced by approx 10% in the firing.
Once restored it was sold to Christopher Claxton Stevens of the top London dealers Norman Adams at Hans Road, Knightsbridge SW3. (closed 2009).
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The Coade Clock.
Almost certainly cast from the model and hand finished by John Bacon 1.
Indented Coade Lambeth.
Dimensions 15in; 38.5cm high.
No. 525 in the Coade Catalogue of 1784.
Described in the catalogue as with sitting figures of Spring and Autumn.
Whilst this clock appears to be a unique survival it is possible that further examples exist.
Page below from the Coade Catalogue at the Bibliotheque Nationale.
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The Movement of the Coade Clock by Francis Perigal (d. 1818) .
The 5-inch enamel associated dial with regulation lever above
XII, the fusee movement with anchor escapement, arched plates, signed on the
backplate Francis Perigal, Royal Exchange, London, the restored drum case
surmounted by an urn and eagle and flanked by seated female figures depicting
spring and autumn, the plinth impressed Coade, Lambeth.
Sotheby's Condition report "Dial probably later associated, bezel repaired/adapted. Movement is complete and look as though it would run but may benefit from a clean and fresh oil. Case has been cleaned and restored and is in good condition throughout with very minor edge chips to the plinth base. With pendulum but no winder".
It is a tribute to Alastair Renie and the staff at Messrs Coade that the staff at Sothebys had not spotted the replacement urn and the repair to the Eagle's head.
Francis Perigal was a watch and clockmaker, member of the Devil Tavern Group, he received honorary freedom in the Clockmakers' Company in 1781. Watchmaker to
George III.
Two Francis Perigals, father and son, are recorded working at Royal Exchange
The senior Francis Perigal (b.1734) was apprenticed in 1748 and a Freeman of the Clockmakers' Company 1756-1775.
He worked at Threadneedle
Street and Royal Exchange, business that was set up by his father in 1756 and
continued by his son until 1843 (both also Francis).
Francis Perigal (d.1818) was a direct descendant of the ivory turner, Jean Perigal, a first generation Huguenot refugee from Dieppe, who married at the French Church of Hungerford Market, in Soho, in 1701, Rachel Jourdain of a Dieppe watchmaking family. Rachel's relative Guillaume Jourdain was recorded as a watchmaker in Stepney from 1699-1703 and attended the French Church in Threadneedle Street.
Like the Jourdain family, Jean Perigal settled in Spitalfields. The Perigal-Jourdain marriage was witnessed by Jacques Lestourgeon who was probably a relative of David Lestourgeon, watchmaker from Rouen. The Lestourgeons were connected with the Hebert family, also watchmakers from Dieppe; David Lestourgeon, described as a 'turner in silver' who worked in Church Lane, St Martin's in the Fields, married Madeleine Hebert at Hungerford Market church in 1700. Anthoine Hebert, was a watchmaker in Horseshoe Alley, Shoreditch in 1701 but had moved to Porter Street, Soho at the sign of the Wig by 1706. David Lestourgeon's wife Madeleine witnessed Anthoine Hebert's marriage in 1700.
Jean Hebert was working as a watchmker in Wheeler Street, Spitalfields in 1705. The Hebert family were linked to another Dieppe watchmaker Jean Sene, who stood godfather to a Hebert daughter at the Hungerford Market church in 1706. Over forty years later Jean Sene was admitted to the French Hospital - with failing sight unable to work as a watchmaker' in 1748, aged 65, he was recommended by the jeweller, Mr Barbot, in Great St Andrew Street, at the sign of the Golden Lion.
Francis Perigal was the
son of Francis Perigal I, who entered the Clockmakers Company in 1741 and
became Master in 1756.
The early history of the Perigal family from Dieppe in
London demonstrates this progression of the Huguenot family from settling initially in East London as
manufacturers to establishing a retail business in West London to supply a
growing luxury market.
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The Coade Clock at Christie's.
Lot 214.
The Catalogue description -
"Designed in the George III French/Grecian fashion promoted
by the court architect and furniture 'connoisseur' Sir William Chambers
(d.1796), and relates to his 1780 clock design for the Society of Antiquaries'
Somerset House rooms (J. Harris and M. Snodin, Sir William Chambers, London,
1997, fig 254). The figures can be related to those of the Earl of Chatham's
Westminster Abbey monument, which the sculptor John Bacon, R.A. (d.1799)
designed in 1778, at a period that he was executing sculpture for the
embellishment of Chambers' Somerset House. He had previously designed related
figures of the Seasons for Champion's Bristol porcelain factory in the early
1770s, when he first joined Mrs Eleanor Coade's Artificial Stone Manufactory at
Lambeth (T. Clifford, John Bacon and the Manufacturers, Apollo, October 1985,
pp.288- 303 fig 2).
The 1784 Descriptive Catalogue of COADE'S Artificial Stone
Manufactory lists under Section XXVII 'Pieces of Furniture and various
ornaments, no.525 , Clock-case, with two sitting Figures, Spring and Autumn; an
Eagle on the Top, 1ft. 5¼ins long'. Alison Kelly (Mrs Coade's Stone,
Upton-upon-Severn, 1990) mentions that the clock bears a resemblance to a
similar design by Adam and Vulliamy and sculpted by John Bacon for George III.
The only other Coade clock case, which is an oval plaque with Father Time, is not
listed in the above catalogue but is listed in the publication of items in
Coade's Gallery. An example of this model was most recently sold Sotheby's, 22
May 2002, lot 544, it was dated 1794".
https://www.christies.com.cn/zh-cn/lot/lot-4513251
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The Coade Clock in the workshop at Messrs Coade of Wilton House, Wiltshire.A very low resolution photograph of the clock after it had been stripped of paint - it gives a fair impression of the condition - the Urn was missing and the head of the eagle had become detached.
Overall the clock case was in very good condition.
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The Coade clock displays distinct similarities with a number of late 18th century French clocks.
This type of French clock, entitled ”L’Étude et la Philosophie” was an
enormously successful and popular model in the late 18th Century. It derives
from a drawing in a catalogue produced by François Rémond, circa 1785, which
incorporates figures designed and supplied to the Sèvres factory for
reproduction in biscuit porcelain by the sculptor Simon-Louis Boizot.
Given the similarities of these clocks with the Coade clock modelled before (1784) it would suggest that John Bacon I was familiar with one of these clocks (perhaps that in the Royal Collection!).
I cannot claim any expertise on late 18th century French clocks and their mounts but making comparisons with the Coade clock the similarities are obvious.
This is yet another rabbit hole to disappear down - I will give a brief survey of these clocks with a few examples - which are linked with the design of the Coade Clock.
...
Drawing in a private collection by François Rémond (no further information and needs to be checked
It derives from a drawing in a catalogue produced by François
Rémond, circa 1785, which incorporates figures designed and supplied to the
Sèvres factory for reproduction in biscuit porcelain by the sculptor
Simon-Louis Boizot.
https://www.lapendulerie.com/en/most-beautiful-clocks-louis-xvi-period/
Clock with the movement inscribed Dancel
This form of clock, entitled L'Etude et la Philosophie, was an enormously successful and popular model in the late 18th century.
It derives from a drawing in a catalogue produced by François Rémond, circa 1785, which incorporates figures designed and supplied to the Sèvres factory for reproduction in biscuit porcelain by the sculptor Simon-Louis Boizot. Rémond was one of the most celebrated ciseleurs-doreurs during the reign of Louis XVI and counted among his distinguished clientele the comte d'Artois and the princesse Kinsky.
Between February 1784 and October 1787, Rémond sold at least thirty-two versions of this model to Dominique Daguerre (see J.D. Augarde, Les Ouvriers du Temps, 1997, p. 175).
In 1788 Daguerre delivered three of these clocks, with movements by Sotiau, to Louis XVI at the château de Saint-Cloud.
Three clocks
of this model are in the Royal Collection, with additional examples conserved
each at Versailles and the Quirinale, Rome.
Other examples of this popular model sold at auction include
the following. In white marble: the Wildenstein collection, Christie's, London,
14 December 2005, lot 18 (£28,800); the Partridge collection, Christie's, New
York, 17 May 2006, lot 27 ($38,400). In red marble: Christie's, London, 14
December 2000, lot 198 (£28,200). In black marble, Sotheby's, London, 12 June
2002, lot 395 (£19,120). A smaller version with white marble sold Christie's,
London, 29 April 2010, lot 134 (£27,500).
Info and image from Christie's website -
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The Clock with Movement by Lechopie, Paris.
Dimensions - 53 x 13 x 44.5 cm high.
They say Louis XVI circa 1785.
A clock of this model, but with patinated bronze figures and variations to the base and its ormolu mounts, is in the Swedish Royal Collection, see H. Ottomeyer and P. Proschl, Vergolte Bronzen, Vol I Munchen 1987, p.297, fig.4.18.4.
Other examples can be found in the Elysee Palace,
Paris and the Imperial Place in Pavlovks, St Petersburg.
https://www.bada.org/object/louis-xvi-ormolu-and-white-marble-mantel-clock-lechopie-paris-circa-1785
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Clock with movement by Du Tetre, Paris.
Presumably made prior to 1772.
Image and info below from the website of Frank Partridge.
Jean-Baptiste Du Tertre was born in 1715. He succeeded his
father and became a Master Clockmaker in 1735. Du Tertre is particularly known
for the quality of the cases he used for his clocks. He died in 1772.
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Two Clocks with movements by Lepine.
Another is in the Royal Collection
https://www.rct.uk/collection/search#/66/collection/2820/mantel-clock
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Louis XVI mantel clock flanked by two hard-paste Sèvres
porcelain seated figures, the male (Philosopher) and female reading (Learning)
by Renacle-Nicolas Sotiau (active 1782-91), c. 1785-90’. (Royal Collection
Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, 2017, Inv. no. RCIN 30118
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A Regency Ormolu Mounted clock - the case by Baetens of Soho.
They say an example of the Philosophy & Study Clock by Baetens,
Soho. Circa 1820. Baetens found this design was popular with clients and made a
number of examples, varying the colour of the marble and using bronze mounts
instead of ormolu.
Clocks with similar figures and crowned with an eagle had
made by Dominque Daguerre for Lousi XVI and George IV is known to have bought
copies of the design by other French clockmakers, so Baetens were merely
following current trends and providing their clients with the styles they
wanted.
There is at least one example of a Baetens clock that has a
movement signed by clockmaker James Tupman, who was based at 44 Great Russell
Street. Certainly the fusee movements they purchased for their designs were of
a high standard, in keeping with the quality of their case designs.
Baetens & Co were not averse to copying parts of their
designs from pattern books – they are
known to have copied figures of “philosophy” and “study” designed by
Louis-Simon Boizot for the Sevres Factory in 1780 into a clock which was in the
collection of the 2nd Marquess of Bath at Longleat House (sold Christie’s, 13
June 2002) – it also employed a similar drum clock with ormolu swag mounts as
its centrepiece.
Info and imagre here from the website of Raffety.
https://www.raffetyclocks.com/blog-detail/34137/two-clocks-by-baetens-and-co-of-soho
Another Clock with a case by Baetens of Soho
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The Coade figure of Chronos (Time) sundial
Chronos or Father Time, bearing an hour-glass (now missing),
is perched on rocks and serves as a caryatid for a sun-dial disc with
reed-gadrooned edge. The modelling closely relates to that of Coade's River God
figure, noted in the catalogue of 1784, and can be attributed to the sculptor
John Bacon (d.1799), with whom Mrs Eleanor Coade (d.1796) was in partnership
(see A. Kelly, Mrs Coade's Stone, Worcs., 1990. p.62). The same Chronos figure
is featured alongside the sarcophagus of Dame Anne Henniker (d.1793) in
Rochester Cathedral and its design appears to have been mistakenly attributed
to the sculptor Thomas Banks in the Gentleman's Magazine, 1794, part 1, p.410.
(see A. Kelly, op cit p.250). Father Time attempting to destroy Sculpture
featured as the frontispiece to the book of etchings of Coade's Gallery, which
also includes this figure (see Kelly, op cit, p.66). Another sun-dial
commissioned by the architect Sir John Soane (d.1837) is discussed by A. Kelly,
Sir John Soane and Mrs Eleanor Coade, Apollo, 1989; while one purchased by
James Baxter for his Turnham Green house in July 1818 was described as "A
statue of Time with scythe and hour-glass complete with rustic plinth. 18
pounds. (A. Kelly, op cit, 1990, p.144).