Beurdeley Fils, In Paris - Gilded And Patinated Bronze Clock With Putto Tambourinaire, Circa 18

BEURDELEY, Alfred-Louis-Emmanuel known as Alfred II (1847-1919) - Remarkable Louis XVI Style Pendulum Clock in chiseled and gilded patinated bronze, the circular enamelled dial signed "A.Beurdeley Fils/ A Paris" inscribed in a drum-shaped case topped with a ribbon knot held by a Putto seated on clouds. The whole of this composition treated in the round sits on an oval base embellished with acanthus rosettes and punctuated on the front by a frieze in fine relief with garland motifs, Hermaic and Bacchic attributes. Flattened ball feet. Numbered movement and bearing the watchmaker's stamp "Japy Frères & Cie/ Grde Médaille d'Honneur". High quality work from the last third of the 19th century by the prestigious Maison Beurdeley, Circa 1880.

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A high class model
Listed under number 48 of the inaugural sale (October 19-22, 1897) of "Models for Bronzes of Art, Furniture of Style and of Great Decoration with right of reproduction Coming from the Maison A. Beurdeley, Manufacturer of Bronzes and Cabinetmaking of Art following cessation of manufacture", this radiant Pendulum-borne in very finely chiseled gilded and patinated bronze titled in said pamphlet "Pendule Louis XVI. Enfant assis au tambour" depicts a Putto Tambourinaire nimbly camped on clouds.
Modeled with frankness, the mischievous child with the soft plump forms girded with a drape holds, in the hollow of his right hand, a short stick ready to make resonate the lively sonority of a drum that he cheerfully brandishes with the other, in a nimble gesture. In this instrument topped with a lively ribboned ringlet and judiciously encased the movement of the pendulum. This sculptural composition with clean lines is set on an oval base with projections. Accented with dice dressed in rosettes of grained acanthus, it is adorned on the front, within a rectangular reserve, with an ornamental motif chiseled in fine relief on a very original matte background, the "gay and spiritually imagined" aspect of which Emile Bergerat would not have failed to emphasize in his time (1878). Centered on Hermaic attributes - winged petasus, caduceus, quill or long feather - associated with the twirling Messenger of the Gods (Hermes/Mercury), it unites with coquettishly ribboned floral garlands a leafy oak crown, a tambourine with cymbals and Cupid's arrows with pointed darts -, ingenuous and slight allusion to the immemorial Bacchic festivities whose hectic rejoicings engender many lovers hugs.
Four flattened ball feet complete the Louis XVI silhouette of this very elegant timepiece stamped on its circular white enamel dial indicating by two delicately pierced hands the hours, minutes in Roman and Arabic numerals "A. Beurdeley Fils". From this Parisian "Manufacturer of Bronzes and Artistic Cabinetmaking" internationally celebrated for the preeminence and refinement of its production, it bears the undeniable stamp defined by E. Bergerat or L. Roger-Milès (1895) in these terms: "M. Beurdeley does not 'copy' old models, as so many others do; he creates in a given style, (..) The chiseling and digging work is superb, although very simple, and the lines are sober, enveloping". "No one more than he has pushed the respect of styles, and the impeccability of aesthetics and taste in the concept and execution of the works he has created from scratch".
Just like other clock-clock models called "A l'Enfant Guerrier", "Aux Colombes et à L'Amour", "A Vénus et à L'Amour tenant son arc" or even "Aux Bacchantes" - to the credit of Alfred-Emmanuel-Louis Beurdeley, talented "rival, posthumous of the old Masters" of whom he made himself in spirit "the contemporary", this clock with the Child or Putto Tambourinaire made in the 1880s reconnects with the timepieces of the Louis XVI period fashioned by François Vion (1737-1790), Robert Osmont (1711-1789..It perpetuates with sensitivity the precedence, the formal ingenuity and the playful breath of which the winged Bambin, the mischievous look under his forehead haloed with curls, makes himself, baguette in hand, the zealous emissary.
Of very beautiful craftsmanship, our The clock with the Drummer Child, signed moreover by one of the most distinguished representatives of bronze art and furniture of Great Decoration of the capital, will come to prelude -beating tempo- in these times of near festivities of convivial and happy interludes. ----------
A peerless Parisian manufacturer: Alfred-Louis-Emmanuel Beurdeley, known as Alfred II (1847-1919)
The last and worthy representative of a "Dynasty" whose name remained throughout the 19th century (1804-1895) on the Parisian market as well as on the international scene, devoted to the world of Curiosity, the production of furniture, artistic bronzes and high-flying furnishings, Alfred-Louis-Emmanuel, known as Alfred II, abandoning a career as a lawyer, took over in 1875 the reins of an Establishment that was then very prosperous and enjoyed, in view of its production awarded prizes at national events and Universal Exhibitions (Paris, 1855: Bronze Medal followed in 1867 by a Gold Medal) for its excellence, the generosity of an elitist clientele to whose ranks crowned heads flocked (Supplier of the Furniture Store of the Emperor and Empress, of the Imperial Court of Russia), members of the aristocracy of title (Duke of Amale, of Nemours) or of finance (Rotschild), of Industry (Schneider), patrons and collectors (Lord Hertford, Richard Wallace)..
Erudite and fine art collector, "artist who combines with the qualities of taste and knowledge of his father (Louis-Auguste-Alfred, 1808-1883) the rare talent in a head of House, to draw, to compose and to know how to lead those he occupies" (Champier, 1878)
,In 1881, he will add - near his Mansion of the rue de Clichy known to "artists, amateurs for its "rare pieces and first-rate furniture of all illustrious hands" - to the family Establishment located since 1840 in the historic Hanover Pavilion 34, rue Louis-Le-Grand in the heart of the upscale Paris of the Second Empire with vast manufacturing workshops. Located at 20-24 rue Dautancourt in the Epinettes district, they mobilize artists, craftsmen (sculptors, cabinetmakers, bronze workers, chasers, gilders, etc.) ... - seasoned workers working on the execution of pieces designed by this "Artist-Manufacturer" whose personality Roger-Milès evoked in these terms: "From the 15th to the 18th century, nothing escapes him: he wanders through the ages, familiar with the idiosyncrasy of each, happy even with the science he has, because it reveals to him beauties whose seduction moves him, and difficulties of execution that tempt his effort (..) Of all that he has done one would not find a fault, not a weakness, not a concession".
His appointment in 1883 to the rank of Knight of the Legion of Honour confirmed a career as a "Manufacturer of Bronzes and Artistic Cabinetmaking" who was praised many times during the major national (Exposition of the Central Union of Fine Arts, 1880, 1883) and international (Universal Exhibitions of Paris, 1878, 1889; Amsterdam, 1883, Chicago, 1893) events of the second half of the 19th century for the "scale, richness and value" of his production. During the lifetime of Alfred II, it rooted the Maison Beurdeley "in the Annals of Art" in which it still occupies "an indelible place" in the same way as Henri Dasson, Paul Sormani. An enthronement that on the eve of the auction (1895-1898) "of the marvelous riches gathered in the museum of the Hanover Pavilion" the columnist of Le Figaro reported thus: "For a century, from father to son, as in the past the Boulle, the Martin, the Caffieri, the Beurdeley have made furniture that are and will remain admirable works of art, and they have occupied themselves with curiosities (..) we can affirm that the name of Beurdeley has always been put forward for the defense of the great French industry (..) all those who have the cult of decorative art, all those who love our great industry, (..), all this will not be present without history to this disappearance since it marks the end of a dynasty that was precisely glorious because it was constantly valiant".

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Related literature: Payne, Christopher, Paris, La Quintessence du meuble au XIXe siècle, Paris: Monelle Hayot, 2018, pp.266-278; -Mestagh, Camille, L'Ameublement d'Art Français, 1850-1900, Paris: Ed. de L'Amateur, 2010, pp.11-17, 34-35,85, 149, 271-272;
-Bergerat, Emile, Masterpieces of Art at the Universal Exhibition of 1878, Paris: 1878, Volume 1, pp.94-96.;Champier, Victor, "Bronzes", in: The Artistic Year of January 1, 1878, p. 264- Roger-Milès L., "A Dynasty", in: Le Figaro, May 2, 1895, p. 1;- Paris, Hôtel Drouot, Sales Catalogue of Models for Art Bronzes, Furniture of Style and Great Decoration (..) Coming from the Maison Beurdeley, Manufacturer of Bronzes and Art Cabinetmaking Following Cessation of Manufacturing", first sale of October 19-22, 1897 (p.8, n° 48).
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Marks and Signatures: : Enameled dial signed "A.Beurdeley Fils/ A PARIS" - Numbered movement bearing the stamp of the Watchmaker "Japy Frères & Cie/ Grde Médaille d'Honneur"
Materials: Gilded bronze. Bonze with brown patina; Enamel.
Dimensions: H.: 33 cm;-L.: 26 cm;-Pr.: 17 cm.
Quality Parisian work inspired by Louis XVI from the second half of the 19th century from the Maison Beurdeley (1804-1895) in Paris. Circa 1880.
Good condition. Original gilding

maker of the most skillful Mr. Beurdeley son is an artist who joins to the qualities of taste and knowledge of his father the rare talent in a head of house to compose, to draw and to know how to lead those he occupies presents works of inspiration and pastiches, imitating the works of the past while constituting c,
; dynasty of scholars and artists
heir to a dynasty of antique dealers, cabinetmakers and collectors of the most prominent on the original compositions (..) putting forward his creative abilities (Edouard Rombery, 1879, p 20)
one of our first cabinetmakers and one of those who honor their profession the most"* ----------------

Laughing Louis XVI-inspired terminal clock in finely chiseled gilded bronze featuring a graceful Child Drummer. Oval base decorated with appliques with grained acanthus rosette motifs centered on a ribbon knot within a rectangular reserve. The whole resting on four feet Set on its bezel, the white enamel dial with Arabic numerals for the hours and minutes, signature of the author of the model of this delightful child figure. Quality Parisian work from the second half of the 19th century. Around 1880.
The models from the workshop located at 17, rue Dautencourt, a road located in the Clichy district are dispersed in seven auctions (October 1897- May 1898) - The sales of the models from the Beurdeley Workshop, 7 in number, are spread out from October 19, 1897 to October 18, 1898, nearly 2000 models presented during these auctions; cataloged with titles of the models that they themselves had created: Pendulum with Bacchantes, after Clodion; "with the Child Warrior", called "Venus with the Shell and with Love Holding His Bow", with Doves and with Love. the successful works of the 17th century reflecting the taste of the time for the pieces of the 17th century known and appreciated by the clientele
"manufacturer of the most skillful Mr. Beurdeley fils is an artist who combines with the qualities of taste and knowledge of his father the rare talent in a head of house to compose, to draw and to know how to lead those he occupies presents works of inspiration and pastiches, imitating the works of the past while constituting original compositions (..) putting forward his capacities as a creator (Edouard Rombery, 1879, p 20)

, ; dynasty of scholars and artists
heir to a dynasty of antique dealers, cabinetmakers and collectors of the most prominent on the Paris market; skilled in the design and manufacture of stylish furniture and perfect knowledge of the 18th century; one of the most prestigious; antiques trading and furniture manufacturing last art of a dynasty