Design for a Clock
Jean François Forty specialized in designs for works in metal. He made designs which could be produced by gold- and silversmiths in precious metals, but he also designed larger works to be executed in wrought iron work such as gates and balustrades for stairs and balconies. This drawing shows a design for a small clock with a horizontal rotating dial, presented as a ring around a neo-classical vase. The drawing was to become the title page to a print series of six clock designs by Forty but, as the executed title page shows, it was not yet Forty’s final thought on the design. In the end result, the proportions of the vase have changed to accommodate the added portrait medallion, and the overall design has become more elaborate in its decorations.
Artwork Details
- Title: Design for a Clock
- Artist: Jean François Forty (French, active Paris, 1775–90)
- Date: ca. 1770
- Medium: Pen and black and gray ink with brush and gray wash and graphite
- Dimensions: Sheet: 5 13/16 × 4 7/16 in. (14.7 × 11.3 cm)
- Classifications: Drawings, Ornament & Architecture
- Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1948
- Object Number: 48.148(42)
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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