François-Thomas Germain (1726–1791) was a French silversmith who was often commissioned by European royalty. He inherited the title of royal silversmith and sculptor to the King of France from his father, Thomas Germain. 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.

François-Thomas Germain
Germain is thought to have introduced this popular model of candlestick in Paris in 1757-1758.
Born	April 17, 1726 Paris, Kingdom of France
Died	January 23, 1791 (aged 64) Paris, French Republic
Nationality	French
Occupation	Silversmith, sculptor
Parent(s)	Thomas Germain (father) Anne-Denise Gauchelet (mother)

Germain 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.

In popular culture

A fictionalized version of Germain appears in the 2014 video game Assassin's Creed Unity, as a member of the Templar Order and the main antagonist. He was chosen for the game because of his real-life talent and "unexplained demise."[1] As a Sage—the human reincarnation of the Isu scientist Aita—Germain experiences visions of the First Civilization (the precursor race that created humanity within the game's fictional lore) and becomes inspired to reform the Order and continue the legacy of Jacques de Molay, the last Templar Grand Master before the Order's disappearance from public eye. After being banished from the Order for his radical views, he stages a coup with the help of several Templar loyalists, and takes advantage of the French Revolution to sow chaos in France, hoping the population would become too afraid to revolt again and submit to the Templars' rule. However, his plans are foiled by protagonist Arno Dorian, who ultimately kills Germain during a confrontation in 1794. Germain's recorded historical death is referenced in-game by the character Élise, who mentions that she thought Germain to be dead during a mission set in 1791.

References

External links

• Some of the masterpieces in the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Lisbon
• Some of the masterpieces in the Palácio Nacional da Ajuda, Lisbon
• Museu Gulbenkian, Lisbon
• Hermitage Museum, Saint-Petersburg
• Getty Museum, Los Angeles
• Metropolitan Museum of Art, New-York
• Musée du Louvre, Paris
• Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris
• Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Lisbon
• One of the tureens in the Museu Gulbenkian, Lisbon
• Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland
• Walters Art Museum, Maryland
• nr.112, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

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[ru] Жермен, Франсуа-Тома