A large Empire gilt bronze sculptural mantel clock with Ariadne on the Panther after Johann Heinrich Dannecker, the bronzework probably by Casimir Münch, Stuttgart, circa 1820/30 | Empire-Kaminuhr aus vergoldeter Bronze mit 'Ariadne auf dem Panther'-Skulptur nach Johann Heinrich Dannecker, Bronzearbeiten wohl von Casimir Münch, Stuttgart, circa 1820/30

Princess Pauline Olga Helene Emma zu Wied, née Württemberg (1877-1965), daughter of King William II of Württemberg and Princess Marie of Waldeck and Pyrmont, and spouse of Prince William Frederick zu Wied;

thence by descent to Duchess Marie von Württemberg

Johann Heinrich von Dannecker received his initial training as a sculptor in his native town of Stuttgart. In 1776 he committed himself to ducal service for life. Appointed court sculptor to the Duke of Württemberg in 1780, he continued his studies by travelling first to Paris and then to Rome. In 1803 Dannecker began work on his “Ariadne on the Panther”, which was not a commission from the Duke.

By 1805 the “Ariadne” – at that time still standing in his studio – was already regarded one of his masterpieces. The sculpture expresses the idea of ‘wildness tamed by beauty’, according to the motto Dannecker is said to have devised together with his brother-in-law Heinrich Rapp. In 1810 the statue was sold to the Frankfurt banker Simon Moritz von Bethmann (1768–1826), and in 1816 it was put on display in the so-called Odeon, the first museum in Frankfurt to be open to the public. From 1856 onwards it stood in the specially built “Ariadneum”.

There is very few information on the work of Casimir Münch, who held the position of Hofziseleur (court ormolu chaser) at the Court of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg (reigned 1816-1864) in Stuttgart. He

worked closely together with Johannes Klinckerfuss, the court furniture maker. Most of Münch's work was for the Württemberg Royal family, also the origin of the present clock. Johann Heinrich Dannecker also was court sculptor for the Württembergs. Considering that Ariadne was Dannecker’s most prominent work and the model being directly at hand in his studio, it is not unlikely that Munch also made this clock for the Württemberg family. Furthermore, and apparently also in line with other bronzes by Munch, the style and modelling of this clock seems more ‘vigorous’ and less refined/elegant than that of contemporary French bronzes.