Napoleon III clock; second third of the 19th century.

Napoleon III clock; second third of the nineteenth century.
Patinated bronze, gilded and black marble.
Measurements: 63 x 50 x 20 cm.
This gilded and patinated bronze clock, corresponding to the period of the Second French Empire (Napoleon III), dated in the second third of the 19th century, represents a paradigmatic piece of the historicist and eclectic taste that characterized the decorative arts of this period.
The composition is structured in three clearly differentiated levels. On the upper level stands a seated male figure, modeled in dark patinated bronze, dressed in classical Greco-Roman-inspired clothing. The character rests partially on the circular mechanism of the clock, integrating it harmoniously to the sculptural scene. His attitude is meditative and his posture suggests reflection, with one leg tucked in and the other extended towards the ground, accentuating the effect of monumentality.
The clock itself is framed by a gilt garniture of gilt bronze (ormolu), with a black dial decorated with gilt Roman numerals that contrast elegantly with the background. The hands, also gilded, complement the refined sobriety of the design.
On the base, richly ornamented, there is a meticulous work of application of plant motifs, garlands, animal dials and rocailles that refer to the decorative language of the late rococo, reinterpreted with the imperial magnificence characteristic of the Second Empire.