French Clock Virgil the Poet, 1830s

Pendule - Virgil the Poet

Paris
Bronze, marble
around 1830

Dimensions: H x W x D: 61 x 43 x 17 cm

:
Large and, at around 30 kg, very heavy French bronze clock from the Restoration Era around 1830.

The two-tiered base made of Siena marble is divided by a dark patinated palmette frieze. The upper part is adorned with laurel wreaths and Roman tubes.
Above this is the clockwork set into a stair-like pedestal. At the top sits the young Virgil with a papyrus scroll in his left hand and a lyre in his right. He wears Roman caligae on his feet and the light fabric of his tunic hints at his athletic physique.
The quality of the bronze work is first-class. The proportions are perfect and the drapery looks realistic. Details such as the feet and hands are excellently crafted.
The pyramidal structure of the clock and the calm sitting position of Virgil create a harmonious and harmonious overall composition. The dark patinated bronze contrasts beautifully with the light-coloured stone.

The gilt bronze dial is finely guilloché and has two signature plaques. Below the XII we see the signature of the bronzier Choiselat Gallien Fab(rican)t de Bronzes du G(ar)de Meuble.
The Choiselat-Gallien company was one of the leading Parisian bronze manufacturers at the beginning of the 19th century. It was founded by Louis-Isidore Choiselat, who was probably apprenticed to Jean-Baptiste Matthieu Gallien, whose business he later took over. Choiselat's customers included the Count of Artois, later King Charles X of France, for whose coronation he created the altarpieces.
Choiselat's workshop was located in the Rue de la Verrerie in Paris.

The clockmaker Lesieur H(orloger) à Paris signed above the VI and on the back plate of the movement.
The movement is a French pendulum movement with a thread suspension of the pendulum and lock disc striking mechanism with half-hourly striking.
According to Tardy, the Lesieur family of clockmakers can be traced back to 1806 in Paris. When this clock was made around 1830, the workshop was located in the Rue de la Verrerie, as was that of the bronzier.

When dismantling and cleaning the movement, I noticed an engraved date -1824- on the springs (see photo). As the springs were certainly not made by the clockmaker himself, but were bought in at the time, it can be assumed that the date comes from the spring maker.

Condition:
Beautiful and authentic condition with signs of age and wear. The movement has been dismantled and overhauled. It runs absolutely reliably and accurately.

You will find a comparable clock in the reference book:
Patrimonio Nacional Madrid - Catalogo de Relojes p. 247

The clockmaker is listed in the following directory:
Tardy - Dictionaire des Horlogers Francais p. 411