GERMAIN, PIERRE (French). Goldsmith and Medal-engraver of the second halfaf the seventeenth century. He was born at Paris in 1645 and died thereon the 24th of September, 1684. The Paris Mint records show that an engraver of the name of Germain executed in 1678 and 1679 dies for the " Medallic History of Louis XIV ", and that he received, in two payments, the sum of 853 livres 2 sols. Whether this Germain, whose christian name is not given, is the same person as Pierre Germain, who at about the same time was executing important articles of plate for the King, is a question that remains still unsettled. This Germain is also the author of a jeton for the " " Extraordinaire des Guerres", 1682, and of another of the Bâtiments ", 1688. Chavignerie attributes to him as well a jeton of the Provost of Merchants, bearing the artist's initial G. Pierre Germain was a pupil of Le Brun. Colbert entrusted him with the engraving of allegorical designs for the gold covers of the book " Recueil des Conqu?tes du Roi". In 1679 the artist was given an apartment in the Galerie du Louvre, as a reward for his eminent services. P. Germain was a son of François Germain, a celebrated goldsmith, and his son, Thomas, 1673-1748, became noted as a chaser. M. Germain Bapst, in his important work, Étude sur I'orfévrerie française au XVIII si?cle. Les Germains, Paris, 1887, makes the following references to Pierre Germain's activity as an engraver : " Durant la période des victoires du grand si?cle, Pierre Germain n'avait pas seulement été orf?vre, il s'était occupé aussi de gravure. "On lui attribua plusieurs médailles représentant les conqu?tes de Louis XIV ou retraçant les événements principaux du r?gne, pi?c"es qui semblent avoir disparu comme le reste de son oeuvre. Le dictionnaire de Lempereur et Bolzenthal donne ? Ger- main le qualificatif d'habile graveur. Tous les biographes, apr?s eux, le lui ont maintenu jusqu'au moment o? Jal lui contesta cette qualité, en s'appuyant sur le fait que les conservateurs du Cabinet es Médailles ne connaissaient aucune pi?ce ? son nom. "Nous avons été assez heureux pour retrouver dans les Comptes des Bâtiments les deux quittances suivantes, qui ne laissent aucun doute sur la véracité du dire de Lempereur. « Le 8 juillet 1679. ? Germain, ? compte des poinçons qu'il grave. ..250 l. «Le 23 may 1680, ? Germain, graveur, parfait payement de 853 l. 2 s. pour les poinçons carrez et médailles qu'il fait pour l'his- toire du Roy. ..603 l. 2 s. » " Mais il existe encore une preuve plus positive : M. d'Affry de la Monnoye, dans ses recherches sur les jetons de l'Echevinage parisien, cite un jeton de l'Extraordinaire des Guerres de 1682, sur lequel on voit d'un côté l'effigie de Louis XIV, « au revers, un soleil brillant et sans nuages, et autour : Et fvlmen sine nvbe parât, pour faire connoistre que le Roy, estant au milieu de sa Cour et luy fai- sant préparer de nouveaux divertissements, se rend de Fontainebleau ? Strasbourg. On lit sous l'exergue : « Extraordinaire des guerres, 1682. Cette gravure est de Germain et la devise de M. de Santeuil. » " Au moyen de cette description, M. Babelon, avec une courtoi- sie parfaite, a bien voulu guider nos recherches au Cabinet de France, ? la Biblioth?que nationale, et grâce ? lui, nous avons trouvé le jeton en question, qui porte sur sa face l'effigie de Louis XIV, avec la signature G. "Cette découverte était pour nous d'une grande importance, parce que, d'abord, elle tranche définitivement la question : Pierre Germain était graveur en médailles; et, en second lieu, parce que c'est la seule oeuvre de cet artiste qui, croyons-nous, subsiste encore. " Bibliography. — J. J. Guiffrey, La Monnaie des Médailles, Revue numismatique, 1888. — Chavignerie et Auvray, op. cit. — Grande Encyclopédie. — Grand Dictionnaire Larousse. — Bolzenthal, op. cit. — Bulletin de Numismatique, t. VI, — p. 141. Blanchet, Nouv. manuel de numismatique, II, p. 397.
Source: Biographical dictionary of medallists; coin, gem, and seal-engravers, mint-masters, ancient and modern, with references to their works B.C. 500-A.D. 1900; compiled by L. Forrer, London 1904
Source: Biographical dictionary of medallists; coin, gem, and seal-engravers, mint-masters, ancient and modern, with references to their works B.C. 500-A.D. 1900; compiled by L. Forrer, London 1904
GALBRUNNER, PAUL CHARLES
GALBRUNNER, PAUL CHARLES (French). Gem-engraver, Sculptor, and Medallist, born in Paris on the 18th February, 1823, died in 1900. He was a pupil of F. Rude and Farocnon, and entered the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1844. The following works by him were exhibited at the annual Paris Salons : 1849, Portrait of Mme G** intaglio ; — 1851, Two Portrait-medallions and a Medal ; — 1853, Portrait of Mlle Pauline L**, agate-onyx; — 1855, Four engraved gems, Portraits on carnelian ; — Study, after a coin of Py...
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GALBRUNNER, PAUL CHARLES (French). Gem-engraver, Sculptor, and Medallist, born in Paris on the 18th February, 1823, died in 1900. He was a pupil of F. Rude and Farocnon, and entered the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1844. The following works by him were exhibited at the annual Paris Salons : 1849, Portrait of Mme G** intaglio ; — 1851, Two Portrait-medallions and a Medal ; — 1853, Portrait of Mlle Pauline L**, agate-onyx; — 1855, Four engraved gems, Portraits on carnelian ; — Study, after a coin of Py...
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GALLE, ANDRÉ
GALLE, ANDRÉ (French). Celebrated Medallist, born at St Etienne-en-Forez (Loire) on the 15th of May, 1761, died at Paris on the 23rd of December, 1844. His father, who was a fairly clever Die-sinker and Seal-engraver left St Etienne in 1773 to settle at Lyons. There he placed his son as apprentice in the button factory of Paul Le Cour, at the age of 12 years. Already young Galle was beginning to display exceptional disposition for the arts, and he was per- mitted to follow the public schools for...
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GALLE, ANDRÉ (French). Celebrated Medallist, born at St Etienne-en-Forez (Loire) on the 15th of May, 1761, died at Paris on the 23rd of December, 1844. His father, who was a fairly clever Die-sinker and Seal-engraver left St Etienne in 1773 to settle at Lyons. There he placed his son as apprentice in the button factory of Paul Le Cour, at the age of 12 years. Already young Galle was beginning to display exceptional disposition for the arts, and he was per- mitted to follow the public schools for...
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GALLI ERNESTO
GALLI ERNESTO (Ital.). Roman Die-sinker of the first half of the nineteenth century. He engraved a number of medals commemorat- ing contemporaneous events of Italian history and portraits of cele- brities. I have seen by him : Marriage-medal of Charles III. of Parma with Louise Marie de Bourbon ; — Scipione Maffei ; — Giov. Batt. Bodonius; — Pope Gregory XVI.; — 1838, Opening of the Stone Bridge on the Nure; — &c. — Galli belonged to the celebrated family of artists and painters of that name; hi...
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GALLI ERNESTO (Ital.). Roman Die-sinker of the first half of the nineteenth century. He engraved a number of medals commemorat- ing contemporaneous events of Italian history and portraits of cele- brities. I have seen by him : Marriage-medal of Charles III. of Parma with Louise Marie de Bourbon ; — Scipione Maffei ; — Giov. Batt. Bodonius; — Pope Gregory XVI.; — 1838, Opening of the Stone Bridge on the Nure; — &c. — Galli belonged to the celebrated family of artists and painters of that name; hi...
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GALMOLE, THOMAS
GALMOLE, THOMAS (Brit.). Master and Worker of the Money of silver in Devylyn (Dublin) and Warerford under Edward IV. In 1483 "an indenture for Ireland was made with Thomas Galmole, gent., master and worker of the money of silver, and keeper of the exchanges in the cities of Devylyn and Waterford. He was to make two sorts of monies : one called a peny, with the king's arms on one side, upon a cross trefoyled on every end ; and with this inscription REX ANGLIE & FRANCIE, and on the other side the ...
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GALMOLE, THOMAS (Brit.). Master and Worker of the Money of silver in Devylyn (Dublin) and Warerford under Edward IV. In 1483 "an indenture for Ireland was made with Thomas Galmole, gent., master and worker of the money of silver, and keeper of the exchanges in the cities of Devylyn and Waterford. He was to make two sorts of monies : one called a peny, with the king's arms on one side, upon a cross trefoyled on every end ; and with this inscription REX ANGLIE & FRANCIE, and on the other side the ...
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