A NAPOLEON III GILT-BRONZE AND ROUGE GRIOTTE MARBLE THREE-PIECE CLOCK GARNITURE

An important re-discovered and exceedingly rare clock garniture by Antoine-Louis Barye, the present lot was commissioned in January 1858 by the banker Isaac Pereire for his Parisian hôtel particulier at 35, rue Faubourg-Saint-Honoré (see M. Poletti & A. Richarme, Barye Catalogue raisonné des sculptures, Paris, 2000, pp. 442-446, CS 100-114). Pereire ordered two such garnitures: the present one for Paris, and another version in patinated-bronze for his country residence, the Château d’Armainvilliers, and also agreed with Barye that after their creation the moulds would be destroyed (M. Poletti & A. Richarme, op. cit., p. 443). There are, therefore, only two versions extant of this garniture, the present lot and the patinated-bronze version, with the clock today in the Musée d’Orsay (OA 1982-22) and the candelabra in the Fabius collection (M. Poletti & A. Richarme, op. cit., p. 443). Several studies for preparatory figures are also known and documented.

With its imposing proportions and clear classical inspirations, this garniture – representing the sun-god Apollo in his horse-drawn chariot flanked by classical maidens, with candelabra modelled with antique-influenced figures – is a fine testament to Barye’s virtuoso work outside of the animarlier realm for which he was so well known. It also relates to other celebrated garnitures Barye created, such as that for the duc de Montpensier in the 1840s and his contributions to the monumental surtout de table for the duc d’Orleans in the 1830’s, with several elements of the former being reproduced during and after Barye’s lifetime. The present lot, however, is further distinguished by its exceptional rarity and is an important addition to his œuvre.