attributed to Gérard-Jean Galle
A very fine Empire gilt and patinated bronze and rouge griotte marble figural clock of fourteen day duration attributed to Gérard-Jean Galle. The hexagonal gilt bronze shield-form dial centred by a magnificent Medusa head with Roman numerals within a circular laurel wreath and blued steel hands for the hours and minutes. The movement with anchor escapement, silk thread suspension, striking on the hour and half hour on a single bell, with outside count wheel. The magnificent case featuring Pallas Athene wearing a plumed helmet, an armoured breastplate, a short tunic beneath a long cloak gathered at the shoulder, sandals and holding a spear in her right hand and resting her left hand on the top of the shield-shaped dial, the goddess standing on a rectangular gilt bronze banded red griotte marble plinth
Paris, date circa 1820
Height 60 cm, width: 26.5cm, depth: 15.5cm
Literature: Luis Montañés, “Catálogo ilustrado del Museo de Relojes de las bodegas Zoilo Ruiz-Mateos”, 1977, p. 138, illustrating a clock of the same model in the Museo de Relojes, La Atalaya, Jerez de la Frontera. Tardy, “Les Plus Belles Pendules Françaises”, 1994, p. 278, illustrating a very similar clock with an almost identical figure of Pallas Athene who holds the shield-shaped dial to her chest. Elke Niehüser, “Die Französische Bronzeuhr”, 1997, p. 230, pl. 652, illustrating a clock of the exact same model with additional mounts on the plinth. Pierre Kjellberg, “Encyclopédie de la Pendule Française du Moyen Age au XXe Siècle”, 1997, p. 412, pl. B, illustrating a clock of the exact same model but with an additional mounts on the rouge griotte marble plinth.
The case, of superb quality, corresponds to an identical model in the Museo de Relojes, La Atalaya, Jerez de la Fronteraas well as another in the Musée Marmottan, Paris. The attribution to the eminent bronzier Gérard-Jean Galle (1788-1846) is based on its close similarity in style, subject and quality to one which he supplied to Stockholm Castle on 12th June 1823 as well as others housed in Schloss Ehrenburg at Coburg, the Spanish Royal Collection and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Paris, discussed and illustrated in Tardy op. cit. and Hans Ottomeyer and Peter Pröschel, “Vergoldete Bronzen”, 1986, p. 397, pl. 5.18.12.
Gérard-Jean Galle, who was the eldest son of the renowned bronzier, Claude Galle (1759-1815), took over the family business at rue Vivienne on his father’s death and soon proved that he could maintain its excellent repute. Regarded as one of the best in Paris, he was patronised by an elite clientele including the duc de Richelieu, the marquis de Martel and viscount de la Rochefoucauld. Born at rue du Four, Paris, Gérard-Jean and his younger brother, Jean-Auguste (b. 1790) trained under their father but then joined the army after completing their apprenticeship. Gérard proved a brilliant soldier and was knighted in 1815. In 1810 Claude Galle requested from the Emperor his sons’ leave of the army so that they could run the family business. In 1815 Napoleon was overthrown and Claude Galle died, leaving Gérard’s stepmother in temporary charge until soon after Gérard-Jean returned home and took over the family business. In 1819 Gérard won a silver medal at the Exposition de 1’Industrie for an outstanding collection of bronzes consisting predominantly of light fittings and clock cases. The latter were supplied to some of the best Parisian clockmakers including Bourdier; Galle also specialized in making clocks with corresponding candelabra, of which at least two are at Stockholm Castle.
The present case represents Pallas Athene, also known as Minerva who was one of the twelve Olympians deities. She was worshipped both as a goddess of wisdom as well as a goddess of war and protected many Greek cities, notably Athens, which bears her name. According to mythology she was the daughter of Jupiter and sprang fully armed from his head. A virgin goddess who refused to marry she was also a warrior-goddess and participated in the god’s battle against the giants. Due to her conquests she is often associated with Victory and is almost always represented wearing a helmet and spear in hand. The serpent-haired head of Medusa was given to her by Perseus after she had helped him slay the monster; hence Medusa’s head appears here on the shield-shaped dial.
Paris, date circa 1815
Height of figure: 70 cm. Overall height 87 cm.
Literature: Hans Ottomeyer and Peter Pröschel, “Vergoldete Bronzen”, 1986, p. 397, pl. 5.18.12, illustrating a virtually identical clock in Stockholm Castle but of pure gilt bronze with additional mounts to the porphyry plinth and a much plainer spear. J. Ramon Colon De Carvajal, “Catalogo De Relojes Del Patrimonio Nacional”, 1987, p. 185, no. 165, illustrating a clock of virtually the identical model in the Spanish Royal collection. Tardy, “Les Plus Belles Pendules Françaises”, 1994, p. 278, illustrating a clock of the same model but of pure gilt bronze with additional mounts to the plinth, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Paris. Elke Niehüser, “Die Französische Bronzeuhr”, 1997, p. 229, pl. 650, illustrating a clock of the same model.
The magnificent case can be attributed to Claude Galle (1759-1815), whose son Gérard-Jean Galle (1788-1846) continued to produce this model after his father’s death. Among those by the latter was one supplied to Stockholm Castle on 12th June 1823 as part of much larger delivery, at a cost of 1350 francs in part return for some Swedish porphyry. Schloss Ehrenburg at Coburg, the Spanish Royal Collection as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris also own examples of this imposing piece.
According to Jean-Dominique Augarde the first Pallas Athena clock was made in 1815. This was the year that Claude Galle died but slightly predates the time that his son took over the business. Claude Galle died the year that Napoleon was overthrown. Following the bronzier’s death his wife temporarily took over the business until Gérard-Jean returned home from the army and continued the concern with great success. Among other works, he produced models of the present clock up until 1825. Although at first glance the clock appears to be the same as those by Gérard-Jean, it differs in a few respects, here the hour and minute numerals are cast and thus are integral to the whole shield-shaped dial, while on later examples the dials have white enamel numeral cartouches. In addition, the movement as well as the winding holes on the present clock are larger than one would expect to find on later models.
Claude Galle was born at Villepreux near Versailles; during his youth he moved to Paris to begin an apprenticeship under the fondeur, Pierre Foy at rue du Four. In 1784 Galle married Foy’s daughter, Marie-Elizabeth; when Foy died in 1788 Galle was required to pay off the elder’s debts before taking over the workshop, which he built up into one the finest of its kind, eventually employing about 400 craftsmen. Galle moved the business to Quai de la Monnaie (renamed Quai de 1’Unité) and from 1805 operated from 60 Rue Vivienne, close to fellow fondeur, Pierre-Victor Ledure. From 1784 Galle began appearing in the trade registers; he became a maitre-fondeur in 1786 and in the same year received the first of many commissions from the Garde-Meuble to furnish the royal palaces, which in addition to Fontainebleau included the Châteaux de Saint-Cloud, Compiègne and Rambouillet, Le Palais des Tuileries, Les Trianons, as well as Monte Cavallo Rome and Stupinigi near Turin.
Today Galle’s work can be found amongst the world’s finest collections, which in addition to the above include the Musée National de Chateau de Malmaison, the Musée Marmottan in Paris, the Museo de Reloges at Jerez de la Frontera, the Residenz Munich and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Pallas Athene, also known as Minerva who was one of the twelve Olympians gods and protected many Greek cities, notably Athens, which bears her name. She was the daughter of Jupiter and sprang fully armed from his head. A virgin goddess who refused to marry she was also a warrior-goddess and participated in the god’s battle against the giants. Due to her conquests she is often associated with Victory and is almost always represented wearing a helmet and spear in hand.