French fashion at Petworth
Although the 3rd Earl of Egremont is now best remembered as a major patron of Turner and other British artists, in his youth he had fashionable Francophile tastes. Peter Hughes examines the furniture he acquired at Petworth House, Sussex.
Peter Hughes, Monday, 25th August 2008
The Osmonds, on the other hand, clearly regarded the design as their copyright, being very aware of the need to protect artists’ models; Robert Osmond was one of the signatories of a declaration by the maîtres fondeurs on this subject in 1766. The founders drew up a book of copyright designs, the Livre de desseins (Bibliothèque Doucet, Paris); drawing no.53 in that book, signed Osmond, shows the column clock model, albeit with a pair of billing doves at the top, rather than a vase. 10 Several examples of the simple version, with the vase on top, are known, the Petworth clock corresponding exactly to one in the Royal Palace, Stockholm,11 whereas a clock formerly in the Sauvage collection in Paris has billing doves at the top, as in the Livre de desseins. 12
The idea of a column containing a clock movement was quickly taken up by the Sèvres porcelain factory, which listed a colonne à pendule in 1772 and, a few years later, a petit vase pour la colonne à pendule to go on top.13 A late example of the Sèvres column clock, bearing the date letter for 1786, is in the Wallace Collection;14 the design is virtually the same as that of the Petworth clock, but the blue, white and gilded porcelain makes a very different impression from the gilt bronze at Petworth and the mounts of 1786, probably commissioned by the marchand Dominique Daguerre, are more intricate than the solid and vigorous ones designed by Robert Osmond in about 1770.
Peter Hughes is former head curator of the Wallace Collection. For information on visiting Petworth House, telephone +44 (0) 17987 343929 or go to www.nationaltrust.org.uk
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