Daniel Marot Daniel Marot was a French-born Dutch architect, decorative designer and engraver whose opulent and elaborate designs contributed to European styles of decoration in the late 1600s and early 1700s. Born in Paris in 1661, Marot learned his trade from both his father, Jean Marot, an architect and engraver, and celebrated designer and engraver Jean La Pautre. Marot and his family were Huguenots (French Protestants) and left France in 1685, just before the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. They emigrated to Holland, where the young Marot entered the service of the Dutch Stadtholder William, Prince of Orange (later King William III and II of England and Scotland, respectively); thus, Marot brought the fully developed court style of Louis XIV to Holland. Although Marot was a prominent figure in the court of Louis XIV, the extent of the persecution of Huguenots was so severe that leaving France was the only way in which his safety could be guaranteed. While in the Netherlands Marot, was involved in the design of the interiors of the Het Loo palace in Apeldoorn. When William and his wife Mary (of the House of Stuart) moved to England in 1689 to rule as King and Queen Regnant, Marot was summoned to London to work for the new monarchs, and in 1694, William appointed Marot to be one of his royal architects and his Master of Works. During his time in London, Marot contributed to the design and layout of the gardens of Hampton Court Palace, and it is probable that he was consulted on the decoration and furnishing of the palace’s interiors. More than anyone, he was responsible for introducing to England the Louis XIV court style, and, over time, this prevailed in styles of interior design, including fashions in furniture. This decorative influence was popularly known as William and Mary style, and this descriptor remains in use to this day. Marot also influenced the design of clock cases. During the reign of William and Mary, clock cases were manufactured and designed by those who had been trained as cabinet-makers, and these makers took their inspiration from the fashions of furniture. From the 1690s on, Marot’s French-inspired baroque style began to influence the construction of clock cases. The design of two of Thomas Tompion’s clock cases have been attributed to Marot. These first is the Queen Mary Tompion, a brass-inlaid red turtleshell miniature striking spring clock made around 1693 (coming soon to Clocktime). Its red turtleshell Boulle case was most likely made by a Huguenot refugee, possibly even Marot himself. Marot’s design genius can also be appreciated on the beautiful Selby Lowndes Tompion (No. 217) made around 1693, which is housed in an architectural two-tiered case with gilt mounts. Its baroque design includes a series of newly commissioned mounts and multi-piece regal feet. It is probable that Tompion and Marot knew one another and that there was some kind of exchange of ideas between the two, as some of Marot’s later engravings feature longcase clocks with remarkable similarities to those produced by Tompion in the 1690s. In 1702, William III and II died. After the King’s death, Marot returned to Holland, where he lived out his remaining years. During this time, his involvement in various architectural projects included designing the Royal Library and houses for various wealthy patrons. Daniel Marot died in The Hague on 4 June 1752. Image Credit Daniel Marot (1661–1752), architect, furniture designer, garden designer and engraver. Jacob Gole, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dani%C3%ABl_Marot_(1661-1752).jpg
