Clock with Scene from The Deserter (Primary Title)
Clock with Scene from "The Deserter" (Former Title)
Pierre-François Trouvez, French, master 1777 (Artist)
The decorative elements of this Neoclassical-style clock represent the climactic moment
of the renowned opera Le Déserteur (The Deserter), which was produced in Paris in 1769. The
narrative of the opera was based on actual events of a few years earlier that were widely and
popularly reported because they involved King Louis XV. In the dramatized account of the story,
the young soldier Alexis abandons his post in the army having been falsely informed that his
beloved, Louise, has become engaged to another man. Soon after, he is arrested for desertion
and sentenced to death. In a state of anguish, Louise pleads the unusual circumstances of the
affair before the king and receives a royal pardon for Alexis. Overwhelmed by emotion, she
faints on the verge of delivering the good news. Her swooning allows Louis XV the opportunity
to demonstrate his benevolent nature by delivering the pardon himself.
The Jordan and Thomas A. Saunders III Collection
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