“The watch collector” or “The watch seller”, Charles François Victor Raingo

Nice interior scene depicting a gentleman looking at a watch collection. It appears that the man behind him is presenting the different models to him with a price list on the table. Nice interior with lots of details. Oil on panel. Signed lower right. Original frame.

Size: H 24cm x W 17 cm – H 47 cm x W 40cm

French school, 19th century.

Lit: This is a rare and maybe unique painting by Charles François Victor Raingo (Tournai 1801-Paris 1884), who is the son of clockmaker Zacharie Raingo and one of the four brothers of the famous Parisian clockmaker house “Raingo Frères”. They worked for the most prestigious clients and royal families.

It appears that Charles had also a passion for paintings. His chosen subject maybe a scene taken from his life.

Lit: Born in Mons in Belgium on 2 July 1775, Zacharie Joseph Raingo was the son of Nicolas-Joseph, a watchmaker, and Marie-Magdelaine Decroly. He lived in Tournai from 1795 to 1807 and then, from 1810, developed his activity in Ghent before settling in Paris on rue de Cléry in 1813. In 1823, Zacharie Raingo was appointed Watchmaker and Mechanic to H.S.H. Monseigneur le Duc de Chartres (the future King Louis-Philippe) and the following year Watchmaker and Mechanic to the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne.

Raingo Frères, which associated four of Zacharie’s sons, was founded in 1823 and moved to 8 rue de Touraine around 1830. They were Adolphe Hubert Joseph (Tournai 1796 – Paris 1839), Charles François Victor (Tournai 1801- Paris 1884), Denis Lucien Alphonse (Tournai 1802 – Paris 1870) and Dorsant Emile Joseph (Tournai 1805 – Paris 1859).