A French Bronze Mantel Clock: Chronos with Scythe
Signed Ledure Bronzier; movement by Hémon à Paris
France, 19th century
Patinated bronze, gilt bronze, and Sienna marble
20¼ × 15 in.
This dynamic clock depicts Chronos, the Greek personification of Time, in vigorous motion. With a scythe in one hand—a traditional symbol of mortality—he carries under his other arm a drum-shaped case enclosing a finely detailed 3.25-inch gilt dial. The Roman numerals and pierced, shaped hands encircle an engine-turned center and are framed in a molded, leaf-banded bezel.
The bronze is attributed to Ledure, a prominent 19th-century French bronzier known for allegorical subjects and collaborations with skilled clockmakers like Hémon à Paris. The composition is mounted on a warm Sienna marble plinth with scrolling bronze feet, blending neoclassical elegance with mechanical precision.
This striking allegory of time serves both as a work of art and as a reminder of time’s relentless advance.
