Large “three Graces” Clock With Rotating Circles

France, Napoleon III period, circa 1860. Gilt bronze and white marble. Height: 78 cm. This remarkable rotating circle clock represents a refined Napoleon III period interpretation of the famous model created in Paris around 1770 by the bronze sculptor François Vion. Time is indicated not by hands, but by two rotating enamel rings marking the hours and minutes. The sphere, supported by the Three Graces—daughters of Zeus and goddesses of beauty, joy, and harmony—contains an ingeniously precise mechanism. The figures gracefully raise the blackened globe adorned with gilded acanthus leaves, surmounted by a putto holding a torch, an allegory of the ephemeral light of time and beauty. The triangular base in white marble, with rounded corners, is richly decorated with finely chased and gilded bronze mounts, in the sumptuous neoclassical style of the Second Empire. This model revisits one of the most admired creations of the 18th-century Parisian bronze sculptor, a symbol of balance and timeless elegance, which has captivated connoisseurs from Madame du Barry to contemporary collectors. Comparable examples are held at the Louvre Museum (inv. OA 5433) and the Nissim de Camondo Museum, and variations were presented at the 1867 Paris Universal Exhibition. At 78 cm high, this clock exemplifies the monumentality and exquisite gilding characteristic of Second Empire masterpieces—a dazzling tribute to classical grace, reinterpreted for the splendor of the 19th century.