François-Thomas Germain
Encyclopedia
François-Thomas Germain the son of Thomas Germain
, was a French
silversmith
who was often commissioned by royalty. In 1765 Germain broke guild regulations by working with financiers to receive some debts owed to him, as he was only allowed to enter into partnerships with his fellow smiths. For this he was forced to resign his position and declare bankruptcy. He died out of the public eye in 1791, the last member of his distinguished family to serve as a royal smith. Many of his works are now held in museum
s and private collections.
Curiously enough, due to the French revolution and other hazards of history, the biggest portion of his production now belongs to countries other than France—namely Portugal and Russia.
Thomas Germain
Thomas Germain was the pre-eminent Parisian silversmith of the Rococo.The son of a Paris silversmith Pierre Germain he did not at first train in the family workshop, but began as a painter, spending the years 1687–1702 in Rome, where he turned his hand towards goldsmith's work.Once again in Paris...
, was a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
silversmith
Silversmith
A silversmith is a craftsperson who makes objects from silver or gold. The terms 'silversmith' and 'goldsmith' are not synonyms as the techniques, training, history, and guilds are or were largely the same but the end product varies greatly as does the scale of objects created.Silversmithing is the...
who was often commissioned by royalty. In 1765 Germain broke guild regulations by working with financiers to receive some debts owed to him, as he was only allowed to enter into partnerships with his fellow smiths. For this he was forced to resign his position and declare bankruptcy. He died out of the public eye in 1791, the last member of his distinguished family to serve as a royal smith. Many of his works are now held in museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s and private collections.
Curiously enough, due to the French revolution and other hazards of history, the biggest portion of his production now belongs to countries other than France—namely Portugal and Russia.