Important Watches, Wristwatches and C...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Oct 18, 1997

LOT 564

Ilbery, London, No. 6306, the enamel attributable to Richter, made for the Chinese Market, circa 1815. "The Reprimand" Very fine 18K gold and enamel center seconds watch with special escapement.

CHF 50,000 - 60,000

C. Double body, the fixed bezel, pendant and bow, with champleve enamelled decoration, a fine enamel scene painted in the manner of Richter after an English engraving, depicting a man, in front of a horse, thrashing a little boy, while his sister strives to moderate. Gold hinged cuvette with engraved decoration. D. White enamel with Roman numerals. Gold pierced hands. M. 22 "' , blued steel, Chinese caliber with free standing barrel, single wheel duplex escapement, three-arm steel balance with three trapezoidal weights and screws, flat balance spring and diamond end stone. Signed on the inner side of the cuvette. Diam. 60 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent

Case: 18

Spotted

Movement: 2

Very good

Dial: 21-51

Period

Partially reprinted

Notes

Jean Louis Richter (1766-1841) He learned his art under David-Etienne-Roux and Philippe-Samuel- Theodore Roux, becoming a most renowned enamel painter. His speciality was the painting of landscapes and particularly lake and marine scapes, often representing ships in a harbour or battles with fighting Men-of-War. He also painted portraits and hunting scenes. Although it may happen that his signature, in running hand-writing, appears on some of his work, more often than not his pantings are unsigned but can clearly be recognised as being in his hand from the style and quality of the work. He applied his art principally to watch cases and snuff boxes and these were largely destined for the Chinese, Turkish, British and Italian markets. Richter, like other great enamel painters of the time, often found inspiration for his work from paintings or engravings by the artists then in fashion, such as Van der Myn (1684-1741), Giovanni Battista Cipriani (1727-1785), John Francis Rigaud (1742-1820), John Hoffner (1748-1810) and Francesco Bartolozzi (1727-1815), or even from particularly famous scenes such as the "Rape of Helen " from the engraving by Guido Reni (1575-1642), now in the Cabinet des Estampes, Paris.