François-Thomas Germain

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

François-Thomas Germain (born April 17, 1726 in Paris , † January 23, 1791 ibid), was a French silversmith whose works were delivered to the royal and imperial courts of France , Russia and Portugal . Today his works are exhibited in several museums around the world.

biography

François-Thomas Germain was born on April 17, 1726, to the French silversmith Thomas Germain . The Paris-based Germain family had been supplying silverware to the French royal family since 1679.

After François' father died in 1748, he took over his business and was appointed Orfèvre du Roi (= silversmith of the king). He took over his father's large studio in the Louvre . At that time his business had nearly eighty employees. He made various rococo-style silverware for the French royal family, including dinnerware , chandeliers , trays , coffee mugs, whistling kettles , inkwells , church silver and sculptures .

Between 1756 and 1760, Russian Empress Elisabeth ordered large quantities of silverware from Germain's shop, including a sculpture intended as a gift for her uncle General Soltikov. The Portuguese King Joseph I also placed large orders. Germain also made silver sculptures for the Duke of Orléans and Bernstorff Castle in Denmark .

The end of Germain's business came when the goldsmiths guild issued regulations that stipulated that all blacksmiths were only allowed to do business with their own kind . In 1765, Germain had to enter into business relationships with bankers as his customers paid less and less. Because of this, the goldsmiths guild forced him to go bankrupt . He was then dismissed from his post at the French royal court. However, he continued his work until 1780 and died in 1791.

legacy

Today Germain's works are exhibited in several museums around the world. In the Louvre, the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian in Lisbon , the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg , the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles .

Trivia

François Germain appears as the antagonist in the video game Assassin's Creed Unity .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Gordon Cambell. The Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts , Volume 1. Oxford University Press, 2006. ISBN 0195189485 . P. 418.
  2. ^ A b c Francois-Thomas-Germain . Encyclopedia Britannica.
  3. ↑ Thomas P. Campbell. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide . Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2014. ISBN 1588395324 . P. 318.
  4. ^ A b c François-Thomas Germain . ( Memento of the original of July 10, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. J. Paul Getty Museum. (Website).  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.getty.edu
  5. ^ A b François-Thomas Germain (Master 1748) .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Museu Gulbenkian (website).@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / museu.gulbenkian.pt  
  6. ^ Eucharistic service of the Duke of Burgundy, grandson of Louis XV . Louvre (website).
  7. ^ Opening of the permanent exhibition The West European Silver of the 16th-19th centuries in the Alexander Hall . Hermitage (website).
  8. ^ The Collection Online . Metropolitan Museum (website).
personal data
SURNAME Germain, François-Thomas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION French silversmith
DATE OF BIRTH April 17, 1726
PLACE OF BIRTH Paris
DATE OF DEATH January 23, 1791
Place of death Paris