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Object Overview
This late 19th-century Reverse Glass Painting Landscape Barometer was crafted around 1888 by the French watchmaker Auguste Lebret, based on his patented design. Far beyond a mere measuring device, it offers a poetic visualization of weather conditions through a rotating sky disc — a fusion of meteorological precision and artistic imagination. Its form captures a moment of visual delight, merging fine arts and science, where each element tells its own story. This barometer stands as a decorative piece in its own right — and as a rare surviving witness to the inventive spirit of the Belle Époque.
The elegant case with slender legs and a hanging ring is masterfully crafted from tin, followed by chemical etching in a solution of copper salts and patination to give the piece a brass-like hue.
On the flat glass that protects the dial, the play of light and shadow brings to life a vivid landscape painted using the reverse glass painting technique. Before your eyes, a majestic castle tower connects to the shore via a delicate stone bridge arching over a calm river. Surrounding trees with massive green canopies frame the scene, creating a sense of depth and perspective. Slowly crossing the bridge, a horse-drawn carriage — a subtle detail — draws attention to the movement of life within this frozen moment.
n/a
Redier
brass, glass, tin
But the most intriguing feature is the sky, which is not merely painted as a background but displayed on a rotating dial, creating the illusion of infinite motion. This sky is divided into two states — clear and overcast — both depicted on a thin transparent film, painted in such a way that every shift in pressure results in an imperceptible change in atmosphere, as if nature itself is whispering the coming weather.
This combination of the rotating dial’s dynamics and the static landscape creates a 3D effect, with the play of light and shadow on the glass adding depth. The intricate painting along the horizon further enhances the scene’s tangibility, inviting the viewer to explore its details. The artist seems to communicate the inseparable bond between earth and sky, between man and nature, urging the viewer to seek the soul of harmony in a world governed by change.
The sky-dial is additionally adorned with a scale in millimeters of mercury, alongside weather indications in French — a graceful reminder of scientific precision, set against the backdrop of artistic drama. Hidden within the instrument, a continental console-type mechanism operates, its work forming the backbone of the barometer’s existence, quietly underscoring the harmony between form and function. The movement of the aneroid capsule is transferred to the dial, which simultaneously serves as the scale, the pointer, and the painting, transforming a scientific mechanism into an artistic expression. This form challenges traditional perceptions of instruments, sublimating technical function into an aesthetic experience.
The operation of the barometer is based on a sensitive aneroid chamber with an internal helical spring. A small pushrod extends from the chamber, transmitting changes in the position of the chamber’s walls further into the mechanism. The brass main plate, positioned slightly above the aneroid capsule, is mounted on supports, allowing its position to be adjusted longitudinally using a regulating screw, the head of which is accessible on the rear surface of the device. The main plate features four supports for the bridge of the pointer mechanism. On the underside of the main plate, there are two support blocks for the rocker arm, consisting of two pointed screws. A control rod extends from the rocker arm, engaging with the toothed segment through a slot.
It is interesting to note that the 1888 issue of La Nature (No. 1, page 220) features a detailed article titled “Baromètre anéroïde à ciel mobile”, which discusses an innovative barometer created by a certain watchmaker named Ledret. However, this name was the result of a typographical error in the journal. The true maker of the instrument was Auguste Lebret, a Parisian watchmaker and instrument maker based at 111 rue de Sèvres. This editorial mistake was later repeated in several publications, but archival research and surviving instruments confirm that Ledret and Lebret were, in fact, one and the same person.
This masterpiece seamlessly integrates refined aesthetics with mechanical precision, challenging conventional notions of what a barometer should be. It is not merely a device but a symbol of humanity’s connection with nature, a piece that not only measures but also reveals the world’s beauty, leaving a lasting visual impression.