Empire Clock “Allegory of meditation” signed Claude Galle

An exceptional Empire period clock by Claude Galle, crafted in gilt and patinated bronze, representing the allegory of Meditation. The white enamel dial bears the signature “Galle / Rue Vivienne à Paris,” attributing this exquisite piece to Claude Galle (1759-1815), one of the preeminent bronziers of his era.


The clock features a young woman adorned in antique-style attire, reclining against a patinated architectural element housing the clockwork. She holds a book in her right hand while her left cheek rests thoughtfully on her other hand. According to Cesare Ripa’s iconological dictionary “Della novissima Iconologia” (1625), a cheek resting on the hand symbolizes meditation, reinforcing the allegorical representation.


The architectural element, upon which the figure leans, is embellished with a study scene: a seated woman and a winged boy reading a scroll. Accompanying details include a fire pot, a crossed torch and quiver, all adorned with ribbons and a laurel wreath. The clock stands on a rectangular gilt bronze base with a frieze of water leaves, set upon a sea-green marble counter base with four claw feet.


A similar clock is housed in the Château de Fontainebleau, delivered in 1810. However, the woman in that version is more modestly attired, aligning with the moral standards of the Empire period. This suggests the design of our clock predates that version, possibly from the early Empire period or even earlier, still reflecting the ancien régime’s moral standards.


This museum-quality Empire mantel clock has been professionally cleaned and is in impeccable condition with stunning mercury gilding. The white enameled dial, signed “Galle / Rue Vivienne à Paris,” features Roman numerals for the hours and marks for the minutes, with Arabic numerals denoting every 15 minutes. The clockwork includes a wire-suspended pendulum and anchor escapement, striking the hours and half-hours on a bell regulated by a count wheel. The mechanism is in perfect working order and comes complete with the pendulum, bell, and key.


Origin: Paris, circa 1805.

Dimensions: 52 cm (20.5?) high, 31 cm (12.2?) wide and 18 cm (7.1?) deep.


Claude Galle (1759-1815)
Claude Galle is celebrated as one of the foremost bronziers of the late Louis XVI and Empire periods. Born in Villepreux near Versailles, he apprenticed under Pierre Foyin in Paris, marrying Foyin’s daughter in 1784 and becoming a master bronze caster in 1786. After his father-in-law’s death in 1788, Galle took over the workshop, eventually employing around four hundred craftsmen. His workshop, initially at Quai de la Monnaie (later Quai de l’Unité), moved to 9 Rue Vivienne in 1805.


Galle received numerous commissions from the Royal family (Garde-Meuble de la Couronne) between 1786-1788 and collaborated with masters such as Pierre-Philippe Thomire. He provided the majority of furnishing bronzes for the Château de Fontainebleau during the Empire and supplied ormolu bronzework to the palaces of Saint-Cloud, the Trianons, the Tuileries, Compiègne, and Rambouillet. His works are part of collections in prestigious museums including the Musée National du Château de Malmaison, Musée Marmottan in Paris, the Museo de Relojes in Jerez de la Frontera, the Residenz in Munich, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Claude Galle passed away in 1815, with his son Gérard-Jean Galle (1788-1846) continuing the business.


Literature
- Jean-Pierre Samoyault, “Pendules et bronzes d’ameublement entrés sous le Premier Empire”, 1989, p. 61 #20.
- Elke Niehüser, French Bronze Clocks, p.231 #711.