Cupid And Psyche - Empire Period Clock - Circa 1810

Charming gilt bronze mantel clock from the Empire period, circa 1810, 32 cm high. It depicts Cupid (Eros), the young winged god of love, holding out a lyre to Psyche, the incarnation of the immortal soul in Greek mythology. The theme of Cupid and Psyche, very popular under the Empire, celebrates the union of carnal love and spiritual elevation, in an iconography inherited from classical antiquity. The circular dial (finely restored in a style close to the original enamel) is set in a case surmounted by a finely chiseled lyre. The bas-reliefs on the base evoke the attributes of Love (arrows, quivers, garlands) as well as lyrical and warlike trophies, typical of the Empire taste. The movement is wire-wound, perfectly functional, although not recently overhauled. The clock is complete with its bell, its key and its pendulum, although the terminal weight is missing (see photos). A refined object, of poetic elegance, very representative of the Napoleonic period and the craze for mythological allegories in the decorative arts.