The Louvre Museum is currently showcasing an extraordinary exhibition titled "Art Mechanics" that traces humanity's quest to capture and measure time from antiquity to the present day. Running until November 12, the exhibition features a remarkable collection of timepieces and temporal artifacts, including what is believed to be the oldest existing watch made in France - a signed and dated piece by Jacques de La Garde from 1551.
The centerpiece of the exhibition is the famous "Creation of the World" astronomical clock, which was presented to King Louis XV in 1754. This masterpiece dialogues with an exceptional automaton clock loaned by Vacheron Constantin to commemorate the Swiss watchmaker's 270th anniversary. The display also includes fragments of an Egyptian water clock from the Ptolemaic period, demonstrating the ancient origins of timekeeping devices.
Olivier Gabet, director of the Department of Decorative Arts at the Louvre, explained the exhibition's unique focus on the physical aspects of time measurement rather than philosophical interpretations. "Twenty-five years ago, during the year 2000 transition, there was a beautiful exhibition about the place of time and how it manifests and symbolizes itself through works of art," Gabet noted. "This time, I wanted to choose objects from our Decorative Arts collections that deal with the problem of time from a very physical point of view, in terms of expression and time indication."
The oldest French watch in the collection represents a significant historical artifact from 1551 Blois, crafted by Jacques de la Garde. Its case consists of two hemispheres, and its rarity lies in having such precise dating and signature information. Gabet described it as "an extraordinary unicorn," emphasizing how it reflects Blois' strategic importance during that era. The piece demonstrates the sophisticated craftsmanship that existed in 16th-century France.
Another remarkable timepiece featured is a carriage watch bearing the arms of Cardinal Richelieu from the 1630s. This substantial silver-chased piece entered the Louvre's collections as a testament to French goldsmithing artistry. "We cannot find better: it's quite an extraordinary piece," Gabet explained. "Carriages didn't have wonderful suspensions at the time, and these luxury and prestige objects had the capacity to resume the thread of time disrupted by the jolts of the road." The watch reflects Richelieu's status as one of Europe's most powerful figures and his life constantly in motion across France.
The exhibition deliberately incorporates ancient artifacts to provide historical context for timekeeping evolution. Among the oldest pieces displayed are fragments of large water basins used to measure time in Ptolemaic Egypt, alongside an incredible 10th-century automaton element in the form of a peacock. This peacock sculpture, part of a monumental automaton with internal piping, possibly spat small balls at each hour's passage, demonstrating sophisticated medieval engineering.
The contemporary element comes through Vacheron Constantin's automaton clock "The Quest for Time," raising questions about modern creation's place within the Louvre. Gabet addressed this by noting that contemporary creation has always been present at the museum: "Jacques-Louis David had his workshop at the Louvre. There have always been contemporary commissions. Delacroix painted a ceiling during his lifetime, as did Braque later."
The collaboration with Vacheron Constantin arose from the company's contribution to restoring the "Creation of the World" clock in 2019. Gabet emphasized that the partnership was justified because they were dealing with "a masterpiece, a philosophical work, fascinating and troubling, faithful to an old tradition of absolute, virtuosic work." Importantly, the commemorative creation will never be sold and will remain in the company's archives.
The exhibition reveals the Louvre's often-overlooked scientific collections and substantial watch and clock holdings. These pieces entered the collections as historical and artistic testimonies rather than technical specimens, differentiating the Louvre's approach from that of Paris's Museum of Arts and Crafts. "We don't have the same prism," Gabet explained, noting how this was an opportunity to showcase pieces from their collections that aren't always well-visible to visitors.
The "Art Mechanics" exhibition ultimately demonstrates how the Louvre's mission extends beyond fine arts to encompass the intersection of technology, history, and artistic expression. By bringing together ancient water clocks, Renaissance timepieces, royal astronomical instruments, and contemporary horological masterpieces, the museum illustrates humanity's enduring fascination with capturing time's passage through increasingly sophisticated mechanical artistry.
