Jump to content

Germain Bapst

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Germain Bapst
Born
Germain Bapst

20 December 1853
Paris, France
Died9 December 1921 (aged 47)
Paris, France
NationalityFrench
Known forJewelry making, Art collecting
SpouseHenriquette Sophia Maria de Laski
Parents
  • Paul-Alfred Bapst (father)
  • Philiberte Villain-Fremyn (mother)

Germain Bapst (20 December 1853 – 9 December 1921) was a French jeweler, art collector, and art historian based in France who partnered with Lucien Falize to form Bapst & Falize.

Early life and education

[edit]

Germain Bapst was born on 20 December 1853 in Paris, France.[1] Germain was a descendant of the prestigious Maison Bapst, a family revered for their contributions as jewelers to the French court in Paris.[2] Originally from the Swabia region of Southern Germany, the Bapst family migrated to France, where they became well-known.[3] Paul-Alfred Bapst, the father of Germain, served as the last crown jeweler during the Second French Empire.[4] Germain's brother, Étienne André Bapst, pursued a career that led him to become a French military general. In 1878, both men were elected as members of the Board of Directors of the "Society of the History of France" (French: Société de l'histoire de France).[5] He joined the Society for the History of Paris and the Ile de France (French: Société de l'histoire de Paris et de l'Île-de-France) in 1879 and was later elected to the board of directors, where he served up to 1895.[6]

Career

[edit]

Following his father's death, in 1880, Bapst partnered with the Parisian jeweler Lucien Falize, a son of a goldsmith, to form Bapst & Falize[7] The firm was known for creating jewelry, timepieces, enamelwork, and various other jeweled items, operating from their shops and workshops on rue d'Antin in Paris.[8]

Germain Bapst became an avid writer, art collector, art critic, and an expert in gemstone history. In 1883, he published an inventory of Maria Josepha of Saxony, Dauphine of France titled "Inventaire de Marie-Josèphe de Saxe, dauphine de France".[9] Bapst wrote "Studies on Tin in Antiquity and in the Middle Ages: Goldsmithing and Various Industries" (French: Etudes sur étain dans l antiquité et au moyen orfèvrerie et industries diverses) in 1884.[10]

By 1885, Bapst became a member of the Société des Antiquaires de France.[11] During that year, he was accepted into the Society of French Bibliophiles as well as the Society for the History of French Art.[12]

He contributed to French art historian Eugène Müntz's "Les Artistes Célèbres" in 1886.[13] In 1887, he notably published "Studies on French Goldsmithing in the 18th Century: The Germain, Goldsmiths-Sculptors of the King" (French: Etudes sur l'Orfèvrerie Française au XVIII siècle, Les Germain, orfèvres-scuplteurs du Roy). He dedicated the work to French bibliographer Jérôme Pichon.[14] Bapst chronicled the legacy of the Germain family, detailing their rise through generations as they perfected the art of goldsmithing. The narrative follows the creation of a piece, from its design to its display in noble courts, and lastly, where the pieces were found at the time of its publication.[15] The work was decorated with more than 100 engravings and was crowned by the French Academy ("Académie Française").[16]

In 1887, Bapst was awarded the Prix Marcelin-Guérin, the Prix Thérouanne in 1889, the Prix Thiers in 1895, and the Legion of Honour on 29 October 1889.[12] His firm, Bapst & Falize, exhibited at the 1889 Paris Exposition, showcasing various pieces in the French jewelry section.[17]

In 1889, he wrote the "History of the Crown Jewels of France" (French: Histoire des joyaux de la couronne de France).[18] With inspiration from his family's historical documents and state archives, Bapst planned to write an extensive account of the French crown jewels, covering their assembly by Francis I of France in 1530 right through to their partial sale by the state in the 19th century. The book was enriched with 50 detailed engravings.[19] Bapst also published a work in 1892 titled "French Goldsmithing at the Court of Portugal in the 18th century" (French: L'orfèvrerie française à la cour de Portugal au XVIIIe siècle).[20]

Germain's business partnership with Lucien Falize came to an end in 1892.[21] Following this, he became director of the French periodical La Revue contemporaine from 1892 to 1893.[12]

Bapst was involved in the 1895 Historical and Military Exhibition of the Revolution and the Empire, writing the preface for the exhibition catalogue.[22] He eventually curated an attraction for the Paris Exhibition of 1900, dedicated to the military history of land and naval forces. This was segmented into an art section with paintings and busts, and a historical section featuring flags, weapons, uniforms, and other military equipment.[23]

Personal life

[edit]

On 5 July 1888, he married Brazilian-born Enriqueta "Queta" de Laski. They had a child named André Manuela Alexandre Joaquina Bapst. After their divorce, she later married Jacques de Gunzburg then Prince Basil Narischkine.[24]

Death

[edit]

Germain Bapst died on 9 December 1921 in Paris, France.[12] He was buried in a family burial plot at Père Lachaise Cemetery.

Works

[edit]
  • Two Fans from the Louvre Museum (1882)
  • The Retrospective Museum of Metal (1883)
  • Inventory of Marie-Josephe de Saxe (1883)
  • Printing and Binding (1883)
  • Will of King John the Good and Inventory of His Jewels in London (1884)
  • Studies on Metals in Antiquity and the Middle Ages (1884)
  • Étude sur les coupes phéniciennes (Studies on Phoenician Bowls) (1885)
  • Studies on French Goldwork in the 18th Century: The Germain, Goldsmiths-Sculptors of the King (1887)
  • The Excavations of Siverskaia (Caucasus) (1887)[16]
  • The Siege of Huningue 1815 ("Le siège d Huningue") (1892)[25]
[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ La grande encyclopédie: inventaire raisonné des sciences, des lettres et des arts par une Société de savants et de gens de lettres (p. 308). (1885). France: Société anonyme de la Grande encyclopédie.
  2. ^ Bapst, Maison – Antique Jewelry University. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.langantiques.com/university/mark/bapst-maison/?srsltid=AfmBOooQZPLl3wDlWxlW7Bhkl9AnWoewaKBQl46pdB_vPYR7UFlzruR9
  3. ^ Mascetti, D., Triossi, A. (1990). Earrings: from antiquity to the present (p. 194). United Kingdom: Thames and Hudson.
  4. ^ Balard, F., Straus, G. (2002). Geneviève Straus: biographie et correspondance avec Ludovic Halévy, 1855-1908. France: CNRS Eds..
  5. ^ Bulletin de la Société de l'histoire de France (p. 78). (1878). (n.p.): Société de l'histoire de France.
  6. ^ Bulletin de la Société de l'histoire de Paris et de l'Ile-de-France. (1895). France: (n.p.).
  7. ^ Arwas, V. (2002). Art nouveau : the French aesthetic (p. 355). London: Andreas Papadakis.
  8. ^ The Art Collector: A Journal Devoted to the Arts and the Crafts (p. 6). (1891). United States: A. Trumble.
  9. ^ Inventaire de Marie-Josèphe de Saxe, dauphine de France. Portrait de La Cour. Cartel de Gravelot. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6429261w.texteImage
  10. ^ Bulletin mensuel des récents publications françaises avec un appendice contenant l'indication des cartes géographiques et des livres anciens nouvellement entrés au Département des imprimés (p. 162). (1884). France: H. Champion.
  11. ^ Annuaire-bulletin de la Société de l'histoire de France. (1885). France: Librairie Renouard.
  12. ^ a b c d BAPST, Germain - INHA - Institut national d'histoire de l'art. (2024, September 24). Retrieved from https://www.inha.fr/dictionnaire-critique-des-historiens-de-lart-actifs-en-france-de-la-revolution-a-la-premiere-guerre-mondiale/bapst-germain-inha/
  13. ^ Bibliographie de la France: 1886 (p. 346). (1886). France: (n.p.).
  14. ^ Bapst, G. (1887). Études sur l'orfèvrerie française au XVIIIe siècle: Les Germain, Orfèvres-Sculptures du Roy. France: Rouam.
  15. ^ L'illustration (p. 359). (1887). United States: J. Dubochet.
  16. ^ a b Bapst, G. (1889). Histoire des joyaux de la couronne de France, Volume 1. Hachette. https://books.google.ca/books?id=lbVCAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
  17. ^ Gazette des beaux-arts. (1909). (n.p.): Gazette des beaux-arts.
  18. ^ Standard Books: An Annotated and Classified Guide to the Best Books in All Departments of Literature, with a Copious Index of Subjects and Biographical Notes of Authors ... (p. 272). (1915). United Kingdom: T. Nelson and Sons.
  19. ^ La Revolution française: revue d'histoire contemporaine (p. 273). (1889). France: Charavay frères.
  20. ^ Bibliographie de la France: Annonces (p. 27). (1897). France: (n.p.).
  21. ^ Gere, C. (1984). The Art of the Jeweller: A Catalogue of the Hull Grundy Gift to the British Museum : Jewellery, Engraved Gems, and Goldsmiths' Work. Kiribati: Trustees of the British Museum.
  22. ^ Bapst, G. P., & Scientifique, G. D. C. E. É. (n.d.). BnF Catalogue général. Retrieved from http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb31758775h
  23. ^ Le Pays lorrain (p. 321). (1906). France: (n.p.).
  24. ^ Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage, Baronetage, and Knightage, Privy Council, and Order of Preference (p. 530). (1963). United Kingdom: Burke's Peerage Limited.
  25. ^ Revue contemporaine, littéraire, politique et philosophique. (1892). France: (n.p.).
[edit]

Media related to Germain Bapst at Wikimedia Commons

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Germain_Bapst&oldid=1267804481"