George Washington Mantle Clock

Most French Neoclassical mantle clocks feature mythological heroes or goddesses, but Jacques Dubuc designed several models with the standing figure of George Washington for export to the United States. In both America and France, the restrained elegance of the classical ornaments decorating this piece appealed to those who admired ancient Greece and Rome’s cultural achievements and republican forms of government. The bas-relief on the clock’s base shows Washington resigning his military commission, symbolizing the new nation’s commitment to shared civilian government.

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