Tall Clock
1750–60
Medium
Walnut, tulip poplar, white pine
Dimensions
107 1/2 x 23 1/2 x 11 3/8 in. (273.1 x 59.7 x 28.9 cm)
Classification
Tall clock
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of W. Gedney Beatty, 1941
Accession Number
41.160.369
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
This tall clock stands as a commanding presence, its slender walnut case rising over eight feet in height. The richly figured wood grain creates a flame-like pattern across the long door panel and base, while the upper hood features a gracefully arched pediment adorned with carved shell motifs and three turned finials. At the center, the painted dial displays delicate floral and landscape details within a gilt surround, its hands and numerals clearly visible behind the protective glass. Crafted in America between 1750 and 1760, this clock is attributed to the Philadelphia cabinetmakers John Wood Sr. or his son John Wood Jr. The case combines walnut with secondary woods of tulip poplar and white pine, reflecting the practical yet refined techniques of colonial furniture makers. Such tall clocks served both as timekeepers and status symbols in prosperous households of the period. Now part of the Metropolitan Museum’s American Wing, the piece entered the collection through the bequest of W. Gedney Beatty in 1941. Its balanced proportions and restrained ornamentation offer visitors a tangible connection to eighteenth-century craftsmanship and daily life in early America.
About the Artist
John Wood Sr.|John Wood Jr. ( |American) · 1731 |1736 –1760 |1793
active ca. 1734–60|1736–1793