puckfandan Posted October 10, 2012 Report Posted October 10, 2012 A friend of mine sold this violin: http://www.ebay.com/itm/violon-fait-a-Paris-par-Benoit-Fleury-en-1832-/330788812568?ru=http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_from=R40&_nkw=330788812568&_rdc=1&nma=true&si=XS0azCgTrmgbInzDpkRpcHEUELM%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 Unfortunately it had a bid on it when she sent me a link and as soon as I saw her wording I knew she was in trouble. Would like to get some comments on this abused instrument please. Many thanks, Dan
jacobsaunders Posted October 10, 2012 Report Posted October 10, 2012 looks like Martin put it on his sofa, and someone sat on it
richardz Posted October 10, 2012 Report Posted October 10, 2012 I'm with Jacob...looks like a corpulent person thought the bridge was a chair.
martin swan Posted October 10, 2012 Report Posted October 10, 2012 looks like Martin put it on his sofa, and someone sat on it NO-ONE sits on my sofa, it's just for violins! Currently in residence, a Georges Coné, a Francois Barzoni, and two Labertes ... they look comfy. Dan, the violin in the ebay listing doesn't look like a Fleury to my eyes (though I've only seen one in the flesh), or particularly French, but the photos are less than informative. I'm not sure about the scroll - looks pretty nice, nicer than the rest, but there are no good images. If I'd seen this listing I'd have looked at it very briefly and moved on, assuming (rightly or wrongly) that this was Schhhhhhhhh ... you know who! And not as old as the date inside it. But then I'd have been unreasonably put off by the text, and the notion of cracks you can't see through!! With a table soundpost crack, bassbar crack, revarnishing etc I'm a bit stunned at the price it fetched. Maybe someone bought it because it has a graft ... By the way, if it was made in 1832 it can't be by Fleury - he'd have been looking "unco gash" by then, and hardly capable of making a violin! On the subject of sitting on violins, when I was 11, Govan Bramley and I used to play violin for school assembly. One day he proudly appeared with a very beautiful French violin his parents had just bought him, horribly expensive, with lovely gold caps on the pegs. We stood up for prayers, he put his violin on my seat, and after prayers I sat down ... The result was much like this "Fleury".
Ratcliffiddles Posted October 10, 2012 Report Posted October 10, 2012 I personally certainly wouldn't dismiss that fiddle as not being an 18th century French thing from the pictures, but the angles really don't help. any chance of straight on images, body and head?
martin swan Posted October 11, 2012 Report Posted October 11, 2012 To be honest I would have rejected this immediately because of the listing style, in particular some curious "coercive" statements in the French language text and the misleading information about maker/dates .... as for identification I would always defer to Peter (who's a lot more knowledgeable than me) but I sense there's something more than a little fishy about this violin. Dan, what was your concern about the listing?
puckfandan Posted October 11, 2012 Author Report Posted October 11, 2012 She seems quite convinced it is a Fluery, but how many people think they have Strads in the attic? She sold it as is, but definately states in the listing that it is a Fluery and the buyer opened a case. I told her to just accept the return and relist it. I am just seeing what I can find out about it to give her some information. Peter, I am waiting for better pictures. Thanks.
fiddlecollector Posted October 11, 2012 Report Posted October 11, 2012 It certainly has the appearance of a late 18th century /early 19th century French violin. The F holes look wrong for Fleury whos f`s are usually more Stainerish with big nicks. But the outline etc is hard to make out from those photos.I wouldnt say it was revarnished either, maybe a bit of French polish here and there.
Jeffrey Holmes Posted October 11, 2012 Report Posted October 11, 2012 Wasn't there a rather nice Fleury listed in Sotheby's sale last fall? Anyone have the catalog handy?
fiddlecollector Posted October 11, 2012 Report Posted October 11, 2012 http://www.sothebys.com/en/catalogues/ecatalogue.html/2011/musical-instruments-l11251#/r=/en/ecat.fhtml.L11251.html+r.m=/en/ecat.lot.L11251.html/3/
Jeffrey Holmes Posted October 11, 2012 Report Posted October 11, 2012 Yup. That's the one. Thanks F-C.
martin swan Posted October 11, 2012 Report Posted October 11, 2012 The Sothebys one went for £20,000, over 3 times the top estimate - it caused quite a fleury Nice sounding instrument.
philippa Posted June 14, 2025 Report Posted June 14, 2025 exactly this fleury was for auction at tarisio berlin in may.
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