Napoleon III table clock; second third of the nineteenth century.

Napoleon III table clock; second third of the nineteenth century.
Patinated and gilded bronze.
Signed E. Legrand Paris on the dial.
Measurements: 65 x 60 x 24 cm.
This table clock, belonging to the Napoleon III period and dated in the second third of the 19th century, is an outstanding example of the ornamental refinement and stylistic eclecticism that characterized the decorative arts of the Second French Empire. Made in patinated and gilded bronze, the set presents a careful symmetrical composition and a technical execution of remarkable quality.
In the upper part of the piece is a seated female figure, modeled in dark patinated bronze, wearing classically inspired clothing, with marked folds and a detailed treatment of the anatomy and gesture. The figure, with a serene attitude and melancholic gaze, seems to represent an allegory of Wisdom or History, resting one of her arms on a pedestal on which is inscribed a list of European nations.
The figure rests on an architectural base that integrates the clock mechanism, located on the central axis, framed by a gilded bronze trimming of neoclassical inspiration. The white dial, with Roman numerals and black hands, contrasts elegantly with the dark background of the main body, which is ornamented with gilded moldings, pearl motifs in relief and plant garlands, all arranged with meticulous symmetry.
The base, also in bronze with gilded applications, culminates in a plinth decorated with stylized vegetal elements and scrolls, which reinforce the magnificence of the whole without detracting from its sobriety. The dialogue between the gilded and patinated bronzes, together with the hierarchical articulation of the forms, gives the work a visual balance that responds to the historicist taste of the period, which combined references to the classical world, baroque and rococo, in an aesthetic synthesis typical of the Napoleon III style.