François-Thomas Germain

Who was François-Thomas Germain?

François-Thomas Germain, the son of Thomas Germain, was a French silversmith who was often commissioned by European royalty and inherited the title of royal silversmith and sculptor to the King of France. 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 museums 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.