TABLE CLOCK
London, second half of the 17th c.
Master Thomas Wolverstone
Copper alloys, steel, mastic (?); casting, carving, gilding
Master Thomas Wolverstone
Copper alloys, steel, mastic (?); casting, carving, gilding
The collection of the Moscow Kremlin Museum includes an amazing clock by
the English master Thomas Wolverstone. According to the museum's inventory,
it dates from the late 17th - early 18th century. The peculiarities of the decorative design of the case make us think that
the clock was made closer to the middle
of the 17th century.
the English master Thomas Wolverstone. According to the museum's inventory,
it dates from the late 17th - early 18th century. The peculiarities of the decorative design of the case make us think that
the clock was made closer to the middle
of the 17th century.
The Inventory of 1808 describes the clock as a quadrangular temple with a slit dome and seven pagan deities inside. The 1885 Inventory notes: "Bronze gilded clock in the shape of a temple". One can be convinced that the clock was not conceived as a reminiscence of a pagan temple, and that its form and decoration had a different symbolic meaning, by paying attention to every detail of this piece.
A large gilded clock in the form of a cubic construction is crowned by a rotunda and
a circular tower in which seven cast figures of ancient gods are placed – patrons of the seven planets and the days of the week.
On the walls of the 'temple' we can see engraved scenes of the triumph of Juno, Venus and Mars, as well as floral ornaments and half-figures of four astronomers at the corners of the dial: Claudius Ptolemy, Aratus of Sol, Marcus Manilius, al-Sufi (Abul-Hussein Abdurrahman ibn Umar al-Sufi).
The rotunda is decorated with continuous carvings depicting scenes from the Book of Genesis, but it is difficult to fully define what the principle of grouping is.
a circular tower in which seven cast figures of ancient gods are placed – patrons of the seven planets and the days of the week.
On the walls of the 'temple' we can see engraved scenes of the triumph of Juno, Venus and Mars, as well as floral ornaments and half-figures of four astronomers at the corners of the dial: Claudius Ptolemy, Aratus of Sol, Marcus Manilius, al-Sufi (Abul-Hussein Abdurrahman ibn Umar al-Sufi).
The rotunda is decorated with continuous carvings depicting scenes from the Book of Genesis, but it is difficult to fully define what the principle of grouping is.
The turret crowning the rotunda, with personifications of the planets, reflects the idea of the cosmos 'raised' above the scenes of earthly life. The dome of the turret also features a group of mythological characters made in the engraving technique more simplified than the images in the Old Testament scenes on the rotunda. In four vertical medallions we can see Heracles holding the celestial sphere above his head, Phaeton in his chariot, Diana (?) with hunting dogs and two twin figures (?) on either side
of a large flower. Grotesque figures of satyrs and naiads are placed between the medallions in cartouches with garlands of fruit topped with mascarons, censers and bouquets in vases.
of a large flower. Grotesque figures of satyrs and naiads are placed between the medallions in cartouches with garlands of fruit topped with mascarons, censers and bouquets in vases.
Yu. N. Zvezdina answers in the affirmative to the question whether the mythological heroes on the tower dome fit into the general idea of the artistic decoration of the timepiece, whether it can be considered holistic or whether it is composed of unharmonious parts. The figures in the medallions correspond to their place – they are positioned above the other figures. The cast figure of the double-headed eagle crowning the rotunda tower was obviously added later, after the clock was brought to Russia. Heracles symbolises the system of the heavens, Phaeton must be the sun or the aspiration to the sun; if the figure of Diana with the dogs is correct – it is a personification of the moon.
The compositions with the triumphs of the ancient gods and the carved figures of satyrs and naiads on the dome of the upper tower are characterised by a different artistic style from the other details of the decoration – close to the stylistic methods of the so-called Second Mannerism, which flourished in Western Europe in the last third of the 17th century. Pieces executed in this style are characterised by elongated proportions, and a desire for refinement of images and a general restraint in the interpretation of forms.
The artistic design of the clock shows a very interesting combination of different styles and a remarkable system of images traditionally associated with the theme of the transience of time and the course of human history. The clock, which was brought to Moscow at the time, also serves as an example of the infiltration of compositions from Western European engravings (including those of Albrecht Dürer) into pre-Petrine Russia.
The artistic decoration and the meaningfulness of the clock are of particular interest. Apparently, the inspiration for the images found in the engraved and carved decoration of the piece came from the works of several masters, but researchers have only been able to identify one. The four astronomers are based on an engraving by Albrecht Dürer, dated 1515, depicting the northern hemisphere of the starry sky; the scenes from the Book of Genesis are made later
in the Mannerist style by another artist.
in the Mannerist style by another artist.
The Old Testament scenes in the carved decoration of the rotunda of the temple form a continuous cycle, thanks to the active use of Mannerist decorative elements: plant motifs, ribbons, volutes. The cycle of themes includes scenes of the Fall, the murder of Abel by Cain, followed by Noah's Ark in the waters of the Flood, Abraham and Isaac with a bundle of wood at the sacrificial pyre, and the Tower of Babel doomed to destruction. The cycle ends with the scene of Esau selling his firstborn to Jacob for lentil soup. Significantly, the main compositions are accompanied by additional details and small scenes.