Guadagnini violin, ca 1781

[abacada365]

i just recieved a violin, and i am wondering how you can tell whether a violin has been copied, or how you can date it. i know that labels are very misleading, but this is what is says:

Ioannhes Baptifia Guadagnini

Cremonenfis fecit Taurini GBC

Alumnus Antoni Stradivari 1781

from what i can tell, this means that the maker was a student of Stradivaius, and it was made in Taurin.

Thanks!

[Jon Griffith]

Guadagnini was a student of Stradivarius. I would assume from that that he made his violins in Cremona, but I don't know. I kind of doubt that he would put that he was a student of Stradivarius on the label if he wasn't currently apprenticed and Stradivarius had died several years before that time. So I would think it is a copy, but that's all just guessing and I don't really know. Most of all the label doesn't really count.

Jonathan

[Christopher Reuning]

Actually, Guadagnini was not a student of Stradivari. He was trained in Piacenza...some say by his father, though that is disputed. His work shows no fundamental connection to the Cremonese methods. However, when Guadagnini moved to Turin in the early 1770's, he was patronized by Count Cozio de Salabue who was a great fan of Stradivari and was making an effort to rekindle interest in the great Cremona traditions. To that end, he acquired Stradivari workshop artifacts from Stradivari's son and convinced Guadagnini to adapt his style to more accurately reflect Stradivari's style. This is why Guadagnini's violins show features from this period such as round holes in the soundholes and a flatter style of arch. Nevertheless, Guad never really left his own style behind...they are unmistakedly his creations despite the tribute to Stradivari on his labels.

You can read all about this in Duane Rosengards upcoming book on Guadagnini which will surely be an indespensible treasure.

[Christopher Reuning]

You may be interested to see the Guadagnini offered by Tarisio auctions:

www.tarisio.com

It is from his Parma period (before he moved to Turin)

[abacada365]

Thanks.

[Rue]

On 3/13/2000 at 12:01 AM, abacada365 said:

i just recieved a violin, and i am wondering ...

Thanks!

 

11 minutes ago, abacada365 said:

Thanks.

[Quadibloc]

On 3/12/2000 at 12:01 AM, abacada365 said:

i know that labels are very misleading,

Indeed. I can't tell you anything abou the violin that you have. But I will tell you this:

After Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesu, although less well known to the public, Giovanni Battista Guadagnini is #3. His real violins sell for prices like 2 million dollars. So the odds are about as low as if the label said Stradivarius.

[Danube Fiddler]

On 3/18/2000 at 2:06 AM, Christopher Reuning said:

Actually, Guadagnini was not a student of Stradivari. He was trained in Piacenza...some say by his father, though that is disputed. His work shows no fundamental connection to the Cremonese methods.

Since the existence of Lorenzo Guadagnini as a maker probably is a fake : How could J.B. Guadagnini become such a fantastic maker ( no. 3 ) without any education by a leading Cremonese master and without Cremonese methods ?  I.m.o. this seems to be a very good reason to even more admire him and his work.

[Televet]

1 hour ago, Rue said:

 

Perhaps the reply got held  up a bit while Jeffrey moderated it?

[Rue]

No doubt that's what happened! 

[PhilipKT]

Ummmmpictures?

[Omobono]

Guffaw... guffaw..... what goes on here? 

I fall into responding to old threads but this one is almost 20 years old....