"Belisarius" French Empire gilt clock

"Belisarius" French Empire gilt bronze clock, of superb quality, after the painting by Jacques Loius David c1810.

Belisarius was a Sixth Century Byzantine General under the Emperor Justinian, who was responsible for the reconquest of the Western Roman Empire, notable Northern Africa and Italy. According to legend, he was blinded by Justinian and reduced to begging for alms Though the legend remains of dubious provenance, after the publication of Jean-François Marmontel's novel Bélisaire (1767), this account became a popular subject for progressive painters and their patrons in the later 18th century, who saw parallels between the actions of Justinian and the repression imposed by contemporary rulers.  Marmontel and the painters and sculptors, depicted Belisarius as a kind of secular saint, sharing the suffering of the downtrodden poor. The most famous of these paintings, by Jacques-Louis David, combines the themes of charity (the alms giver), injustice (Belisarius), and the radical reversal of power (the soldier who recognises his old commander). Others portray him being helped by the poor after his rejection by the powerful.  

570 height