Thomas Germain
Encyclopedia
Thomas Germain was the pre-eminent Paris
ian silversmith
of the Rococo
.
The son of a Paris silversmith Pierre Germain (none of whose work survives) 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 he was received maître in 1720 and was appointed an orfèvre du Roi. Much of his output was to royal commissions, but his most spectacular surviving piece, a surtout de table on a hunting theme, with dogs and horns and putti
, was begun in the years 1729–31 for the tax-farmer Samuel-Jacques Bernard
but remained unsold at the time of Germain's death, when it was sold in 1757 to the duke of Aveiro
, who took it to Portugal; it is conserved in the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Lisbon. Germain's covered tureen
s were spectacular; the world's record auction price for a single piece of silver was achieved by a silver tureen by him, stamped for 1733, which was sold at Sotheby New York
in November 1996 for US$ 10,287,500. He made a pair of tureens for Evelyn Pierrepont, 2nd Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull
, to designs by Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier
in 1735 that Henry Hawley has said "represents the apogee of the French rococo
" (Hawley 1997).
Aside from the work for the French crown he had royal patrons in the queen of Spain, the king and queen of Naples, and the king of Portugal.
At his death his atelier passed to his fourth son François-Thomas Germain
(1726–91).
Most of his work was destroyed during the financial crises that led to the French Revolution, when rococo objects lost their value; a great deal had also already been lost during the great Lisbon earthquake of 1755.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
ian 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...
of the Rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
.
The son of a Paris silversmith Pierre Germain (none of whose work survives) he did not at first train in the family workshop, but began as a painter, spending the years 1687–1702 in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where he turned his hand towards goldsmith's work.
Once again in Paris he was received maître in 1720 and was appointed an orfèvre du Roi. Much of his output was to royal commissions, but his most spectacular surviving piece, a surtout de table on a hunting theme, with dogs and horns and putti
Putto
A putto is a figure of an infant often depicted as a young male. Putti are defined as chubby, winged or wingless, male child figure in nude. Putti are distinct from cherubim, but some English-speakers confuse them with each other, except that in the plural, "the Cherubim" refers to the biblical...
, was begun in the years 1729–31 for the tax-farmer Samuel-Jacques Bernard
Samuel-Jacques Bernard (1686-1753)
Samuel-Jacques Bernard , comte de Coubert after the death of his father in 1739, was the son of the financier Samuel Bernard, the richest commoner in France and his first wife, née -Magdeleine Clergeau; he was superintendent of finance for Queen Maria Leszczyńska from 1725, a maître des requêtes,...
but remained unsold at the time of Germain's death, when it was sold in 1757 to the duke of Aveiro
Duke of Aveiro
The Royal Dukedom of Aveiro was an aristocratic Portuguese title, granted in 1535 by King John III of Portugal to his 4th cousin, John of Lencastre, son of Infante George of Lencastre, a natural son of King John II of Portugal....
, who took it to Portugal; it is conserved in the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Lisbon. Germain's covered tureen
Tureen
A tureen is a serving dish for foods such as soups or stews, often shaped as a broad, deep, oval vessel with fixed handles and a low domed cover with a knob or handle. Over the centuries, tureens have appeared in many different forms, some round, rectangular, or made into fanciful shapes such as...
s were spectacular; the world's record auction price for a single piece of silver was achieved by a silver tureen by him, stamped for 1733, which was sold at Sotheby New York
Sotheby's
Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...
in November 1996 for US$ 10,287,500. He made a pair of tureens for Evelyn Pierrepont, 2nd Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull
Evelyn Pierrepont, 2nd Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull
General Evelyn Pierrepont, 2nd Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull, KG was the only son of William Pierrepont, Earl of Kingston and his wife Rachel Bayntun ....
, to designs by Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier
Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier
Juste Aurèle Meissonier was a French goldsmith, sculptor, painter, architect, and furniture designer.He was born at Turin, but became known as a worker in Paris, where he died. His Italian origin and training were probably responsible for the extravagance of his decorative style...
in 1735 that Henry Hawley has said "represents the apogee of the French rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
" (Hawley 1997).
Aside from the work for the French crown he had royal patrons in the queen of Spain, the king and queen of Naples, and the king of Portugal.
At his death his atelier passed to his fourth son François-Thomas Germain
François-Thomas Germain
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...
(1726–91).
Most of his work was destroyed during the financial crises that led to the French Revolution, when rococo objects lost their value; a great deal had also already been lost during the great Lisbon earthquake of 1755.