Lot 277

Adam Auguste Léchopié à Paris

Laterna Magica

An important mantel clock with half hour/hour strike "The showmen with their Laterna Magica"

To all appearances, the mantel clock shows a magic lantern projectionist with his helper, who is collecting money from the audience. Even with extensive literature review we were not able to find a pendulum clock with a comparable motif. An engraving by Francesco Magiotto from around 1770 entitled "Savoiardi colla Lanterna Magica" deals with the same subject.
A white rectangular marble plinth with round, lateral protrusions supports a firegilt bronze base in the same shape as the plinth. The bronze base is surrounded by a blue glass frame behind an open-work balustrade. In the centre a magic lantern (laterna magica) decorated with laurel garlands sits on a truncated column. To the left, a small boy in a frock coat and breeches holds a hat with a cockade in his left hand - the hat is filled with coins. The boy has an overlarge coin in his other, outstretched hand. At his feet lies a fallen down and broken Ionian capital. Another, much larger boy stands on the other side of the clock-face, he wears a frock coat and a hat with a cockade. His breeches are tattered, with one of his stockings slipped down. His left shoe has a hole and shows the boy’s toe. His pose is somewhat inviting, with his right foot on a fallen down architrave. He looks at the observer and his right arm embraces the magic lantern while his left hand points towards it.

Adam Auguste Léchopié (L'Échopie) became a master clockmaker in 1758. He signed his work with LÉCHOPIÉ A PARIS and was still active around 1800; his workshop was located at 67, Rue-Neuve-des-Petits-Champs. Léchopié used cases created by Osmond and by Thomire for his pendulum clocks.