Thomas Germain and his wife Anne-Denise Gauchelet in a 1736 portrait by Nicolas de Largillière.
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 received the status of maître(master) in 1720 and was appointed an orfèvre du Roi(or, per a literal translation, the title of the "King's Goldsmith"). Much of his output was to royal commissions, including a number of presentation swords given to the likes of Marshal Foch and Alain Porée, Captain of the Corsairs.[1] 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 tureens 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.[2] 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. Germain also did work as an architect, designing Saint-Louis-du-Louvre, a reconstruction of the collapsed Saint-Thomas-du-Louvre.[3]
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.
^Royal French Silver. The Property of George Ortiz - Sotheby's New York: Wednesday November 13, 1996 (Sale 6915)
^Gallet, Michel (1995). Les Architectes parisiens du xviii siècle : Dictionnaire biographique et critique. Paris: Éditions Mengès. p. 235. ISBN2-8562-0370-1.
G. Bapst. Les Germains. Paris, 1887. Still the classic monograph.
External linksedit
(Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga) Large Surtout for the portuguese Duque de Aveiro
Henry Hawley, "Meissonnier's Kingston Tureen" Magazine Antiques January 1997.
(Museum in Belém Palace - Lisbon) Inkstand for the royal portuguese family
(Musée du Louvre) Inkstand for the portuguese Cardinal João Cosme da Cunha, a pair of wine coolers and saltcellars from the Penthièvre-Orléans service, and a pair of sugar casters for the Duke of Bourbon.
April 11, 2024
thomas, germain, 1673, 1748, eminent, parisian, silversmith, rococo, wife, anne, denise, gauchelet, 1736, portrait, nicolas, largillière, paris, silversmith, pierre, germain, none, whose, work, survives, first, train, family, workshop, began, painter, spending. Thomas Germain 1673 1748 was the pre eminent Parisian silversmith of the Rococo Thomas Germain and his wife Anne Denise Gauchelet in a 1736 portrait by Nicolas de Largilliere 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 received the status of maitre master in 1720 and was appointed an orfevre du Roi or per a literal translation the title of the King s Goldsmith Much of his output was to royal commissions including a number of presentation swords given to the likes of Marshal Foch and Alain Poree Captain of the Corsairs 1 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 tureens 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 2 He made a pair of tureens for Evelyn Pierrepont 2nd Duke of Kingston upon Hull to designs by Juste Aurele 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 Germain also did work as an architect designing Saint Louis du Louvre a reconstruction of the collapsed Saint Thomas du Louvre 3 At his death his atelier passed to his fourth son Francois 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 References edit The Jeweler s Circle Volume 79 Issue 1 September 24 1919 pg 101 Royal French Silver The Property of George Ortiz Sotheby s New York Wednesday November 13 1996 Sale 6915 Gallet Michel 1995 Les Architectes parisiens du xviii siecle Dictionnaire biographique et critique Paris Editions Menges p 235 ISBN 2 8562 0370 1 G Bapst Les Germains Paris 1887 Still the classic monograph External links edit Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga Large Surtout for the portuguese Duque de Aveiro Getty Museum Two pairs of tureens for portuguese families 1726 29 and 1744 Cristina Neiva Correia The Bernard Surtout Henry Hawley Meissonnier s Kingston Tureen Magazine Antiques January 1997 Museum in Belem Palace Lisbon Inkstand for the royal portuguese family Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga Lisboa Portuguese site Musee du Louvre Inkstand for the portuguese Cardinal Joao Cosme da Cunha a pair of wine coolers and saltcellars from the Penthievre Orleans service and a pair of sugar casters for the Duke of Bourbon Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Thomas Germain amp oldid 1131210079, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
