Monumental Art Deco clock - Orpheus and the animals

Dimensions: H x W x D: 56 x 60 x 19 cm

Description:
The protruding base, which stands on eight ball feet, supports the solid marble block with the embedded clockwork. Set in a guilloché and gilded brass plate, the enamelled cartouches with black numerals on a white background ensure that the time is easy to read.

The main focus is on the group of figures in gilded and patinated bronze.
We see Orpheus with the lyre flanked by an antelope and a puma. His calm demeanour is also reflected in the wild animals lying at his feet, which seem to be waiting patiently for him to begin his song. The natural hierarchical differences between hunter and hunted are completely irrelevant in the moment of Orpheus' presence. The singer himself, depicted in contrapposto, embodies the ideal interplay of body and spirit with his muscular physique and the instrument in his hand.

The scenery is probably modelled on the work Orpheus and the Animals by Franz von Stuck, which was created in 1924 and caused a sensation at the time the clock on offer here was created.
Franz von Stuck, a native of Munich, cultivated contacts in Austria and was already working with the publishing house Gerlach & Schenk in Vienna in the 1880s. In both his paintings and his sculptures, he repeatedly took up themes from Greek and Roman mythology. Orpheus and the wild beasts are a recurring theme in the artist's oeuvre. In addition to the aforementioned painting, he created an oil painting on a gold background in 1891 and dedicated an entire wall in the music room of his home, the Villa Stuck in Munich, to Orpheus and his music.

The clockwork with echappement, accessible from the rear and protected from dust by a glazed door, was made by Mühlhauser & Sohn from Karlstein. Josef Mühlhauser was already manufacturing clockworks for regulators and domestic clocks from 1882. In 1883, Franz Pleskot joined the company and a factory-like operation with around 40 employees was established. After Pleskot's death in 1905, Josef Mühlhauser Jr. joined the company and the original PMK stamp was replaced by the lettering M&Sohn Karlstein.

Condition:
The bronzes are in very fine condition with a marvellous age patina. The movement has been thoroughly cleaned and overhauled and is in good condition with a reliable rate.

Price: 8750,-€