BOISSOMOINE IN MANTES SUR SEINE - Lot 7

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Lot n° 7
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Result : 3 900EUR
BOISSOMOINE IN MANTES SUR SEINE - Lot 7
BOISSOMOINE IN MANTES SUR SEINE In the taste of the 18th century Louis XIV-style gold onion watch decorated with an allegory of Greek mythology "Leda and the Swan". Case: later, round on hinge, made according to the methods of onion watches in the late reign of Louis XIV, a work reminiscent of the Regency style with a Greek mythological scene in the center depicting "Leda and the Swan", an allegory of Greek mythology Dial: posterior with Roman numerals for the hours, a central decoration with stylized motifs reminiscent of the Regency style, an opening for the square winding mechanism for the hours and minutes, stylized hands Movement: period, mechanical with key winding, chased and pierced cock with mounting on two feet, spiral balance and regulating disc, verge escapement, fusee and chain, signature on plate "Boissomoine à Mantes sur Seine". Diameter: 56 mm Gross weight 189 g BOISSOMOINE in Mantes sur Seine In the manner of 18th century Gold onion watch decorated with an allegory from Ancient Greece Leda and the Swann "Leda and the Swan The "onion watch" is the first democratization of the watch with the use of the spiral balance, invented in 1675 by the Dutch physicist Christian Huyguens. For the first time, watchmaking gained in precision thanks to the spiral balance, which evenly regulates the beats of the watch, which until then had been an instrument of ornamentation rather than precision. According to "onion watch" specialists, there were no gold cases left at the end of Louis XIV's reign, as almost all of them were melted down to finance the war effort. Our example, decorated with the Greek mythological scene "Leda and the Swan", was produced later, in the style of the Regency of Philippe d'Orléans, known as Le Régent, nephew of Louis XIV (1715-1723). This allegorical motif of "Leda and the Swan" was often taken up by the greatest artists of the Renaissance. According to Homer, Zeus took the form of a swan to seduce Leda at night. From her love affair with the Greek god of gods, she gave birth to two children in an egg, Helen and Pollux, who are considered immortal as children of Zeus. This myth has inspired many artists, which explains our gold watch case. Two interpretations can be found in paintings and ancient drawings: Leda standing or kneeling. The standing Leda is certainly an innovation by Leonardo da Vinci to represent Leda's dual attraction: physical to the swan (Zeus) and maternal to her children. This allegory can be found on canvases by some of the greatest names in the history of ancient painting, such as this masterpiece by Giovanni Francesco Melzi, in the collections of the Palazzo Borghese in Rome. It is a copy of an original work painted by Leonardo da Vinci, which has been missing since 1692, but which we know from preparatory studies in his hand. The kneeling Leda is also an early sketch by Leonardo da Vinci in 1503. It corresponds to the story in Ovid's Metamorphoses, which the painter had in his library. The interpretation of this mythological scene gave rise to Cornelis Bos's drawing inspired by Michelangelo's original, now in the collections of the British Museum. Leda lies with the swan entangled between her legs, a different interpretation of this mythological scene.
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