Experience the art and science of timekeeping in the Wallace Collection free display this autumn.
For the first time, the Wallace Collection is bringing together its clocks by one of history’s greatest designers and cabinetmakers, André-Charles Boulle (1642–1732), in a display that explores the art and science of timekeeping. Five exceptional timepieces will tell the story of how Boulle took advantage of scientific discoveries to create unique clock designs, whose influence spread throughout the world and across the centuries.
As the most famous cabinetmaker working for the court of the Sun King, Louis XIV (1638–1715), Boulle would eventually give his name to the specific style that signified the glittering spectacle of the Baroque – elaborate veneer designs incorporating turtleshell, brass and other materials.
Alongside his work as a royal furniture maker, Boulle also turned his attention to the clock, the accuracy of which had recently been revolutionised through the invention of the pendulum by Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens (1629–1695) in 1656. As these sweeping weights called for larger clock cases, Boulle saw the opportunity to create bold, sumptuous designs, with great creative freedom. This artistic liberty was incredibly important, as the clocks not only had to demonstrate the wealth of their owners through the most luxurious materials available, but also had to show how intellectual they were. Therefore, Boulle infused his designs with narratives that chimed with scientific knowledge. The clocks were also the work of many hands, involving leading artists and craftspeople from all over 18th-century Paris.
Many of Boulle’s contemporaries also drew on the concept of time in their work. This will be explored in a complementary display in the museum’s Billiard Room, which will be uniting two magnificent artworks: The Dance to the Music of Time by Nicolas Poussin (1594–1665) and The Borghese Dancers by Henri Perlan (1597–1656) and François Anguier (1604–1669).
The clocks on display show the wide range of objects that Boulle turned his hand to. A monumental wardrobe from 1715 that encloses a clock, crowned with cherubs; two mantel clocks, one from around 1715 featuring Venus and Cupid, and another, from a decade later, with the figure of Father Time; as well as two extraordinary pedestal clocks.
The display opens ahead of an international conference on Boulle, which will be held at the Wallace Collection in early 2025. One of the first major research events on the cabinetmaker in recent years, it will bring together specialists and conservators to consider the work of this fascinating artist, all within the same building where some of his greatest artistic achievements can be found.
Keeping Time: Clocks by Boulle: 27 November - 2 March 2025
The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN
Admission FREE - Housekeeper's Room
Further Information: Keeping Time: Clocks by Boulle - The Wallace Collection