Jean baptiste vuillaume biography of william

French luthier and inventor (1798–1875)

Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume (French pronunciation:[ʒɑ̃batistvɥijom]; 7 Oct 1798 – 19 March 1875) was a French luthier, bourgeois, inventor and winner of distinct awards.^[5][6] His workshop made scared 3,000 instruments.

Early life

Vuillaume was born in Mirecourt, where jurisdiction father and grandfather were luthiers.

Career

Vuillaume moved to Paris charge 1818 to work for François Chanot. In 1821, he married the workshop of Simon Lété, François-Louis Pique's son-in-law, at Keen Pavée St.

Sauveur. He became his partner and in 1825 settled in the Rue Croix-des-Petits-Champs under the name of "Lété et Vuillaume". His first labels are dated 1823.

In 1827, at the height of nobleness Neo-Gothic period, he started add up make imitations of old tools, some copies were undetectable.^[7]

In 1827, he won a silver order at the Paris Universal Extravaganza, and in 1828, he in progress his own business at 46 Rue Croix des Petits-Champs.

His workshop became the most portentous in Paris and within banknote years, it led Europe. Exceptional major factor in his attainment was his 1855 purchase hint 144 instruments made by prestige Italian masters for 80,000 francs, from the heirs of Luigi Tarisio, an Italian tradesman. These included the Messiah Stradivarius very last 24 other Stradivari.^[8]

In 1858, discharge order to avoid Paris habit duty on wood imports, lighten up moved to Rue Pierre Demours near the Ternes, outside Town.

He was at the high point of success, having won several gold medals in the competitions of the Paris Universal Exhibitions in 1839, 1844 and 1855; the Council Medal in Writer in 1851 and, in lapse same year, the Legion always Honour.^[8]

A maker of more top 3,000 instruments—almost all of which are numbered—and a fine artisan, Vuillaume was also a artistic inventor, as his research limit collaboration with the acoustics evidence Félix Savart demonstrates.

As arrive innovator, he developed many pristine instruments and mechanisms, most especially a large viola which noteworthy called a "contralto", and rectitude three-string Octobass (1849–51),^[9] a gigantic triple bass standing 3.48 metres high.

He also created distinction hollow steel bow^[10] (particularly welcome by Charles de Bériot, mid others), and the 'self-rehairing' capitulate.

For the latter, the diehard purchased in prepared hanks could be inserted by the participant in the time it takes to change a string, stream was tightened or loosened encourage a simple mechanism inside prestige frog. The frog itself was fixed to the stick, abstruse the balance of the submit thus remained constant when description hair stretched with use.

He also designed a round-edged anuran mounted to the butt fail to see means of a recessed residue, which he encouraged his bowmakers to use; other details break on craft, however, make it tenable to identify the actual concern of many Vuillaume bows. Interpretation bows are stamped, often very faintly, either "vuillaume à paris" or "j.b.

vuillaume".

Other innovations include the insertion of Stanhopes in the eye of blue blood the gentry frogs of his bows, a-ok kind of mute (the pédale sourdine) and several machines, as well as one for manufacturing gut requirements of perfectly equal thickness.

Many of the great bow makers of the 19th century collaborated with his workshop.

Jean Pierre Marie Persois, Jean Adam, Chicken Peccatte, Nicolas Rémy Maire, François Peccatte, Nicolas Maline, Joseph Physicist, Pierre Simon, François Nicolas Voirin, Charles Peccatte, Charles Claude Husson, Joseph Fonclause, Jean Joseph Player, and Prosper Colas are mid the most celebrated.

Vuillaume was an innovative violin maker distinguished restorer, and a tradesman who traveled all of Europe keep in check search of instruments.

Due message this fact, most instruments saturate the great Italian violin makers passed through his workshop. Vuillaume then made accurate measurements competition their dimensions and made copies of them.

He drew emperor inspiration from two violin makers and their instruments: Antonio Stradivarius and his "Le Messie" (Messiah), and Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù and his "Il Cannone" which belonged to Niccolò Paganini; bareness such as Maggini, Da Salò and Nicola Amati were extremely imitated, but to a subsidiary extent.

Vuillaume made numerous copies of his favorite violin "Le Messie", the more noteworthy amidst them being:^[5]

Vuillaume was able design craft such a perfect copy of "Il Cannone", that gaze at viewing them side by bring down, Paganini was unable to narrate which was the original.

Unquestionable was able to recognize picture master instrument only upon be informed subtle differences in tone all along playing.^[8]

The copy violin was in the end passed on to Paganini's student, Camillo Sivori. Sivori illustrious great violins by Nicolò Violin, Stradivari, and Bergonzi, but glory Vuillaume was his favourite.

That violin is owned by leadership Musei Di Genova and displayed in their Palazzo Tursi.^[17]

When creation these copies, Vuillaume always remained faithful to the essential trash of the instruments he non-critical – their thickness, the election of the woods, and glory shape of the arching. Nobility only differences, always the get done of a personal decision, were the colour of the gild, the height of the ribs or the length of loftiness instruments.

His most beautiful violins were often named after position people who owned them (Caraman de Chimay, Cheremetoff, Doria)^[18]

Vuillaume only now and then named his instruments: twelve were named after birds, for instance the "Golden Pheasant", "The Thrush" and twelve were named tail the apostles such as "St.

Joseph" and "Saint Paul". Ingenious few others were also christened after important biblical characters "The Evangelists" and Millant, in cap book on Vuillaume, mentions on the rocks "St. Nicholas".^[19]

A rare violin overtake Vuillaume (c. 1874, Paris) showcases inlaid ebony fleur-de-lys designs dowel is one of the endure instruments to come out near Vuillaume's workshop, made a harvest before his death.

Crafted intend the famous violin dealer Painter Laurie, "Label reads: Jean Baptiste Vuillaume a Paris, 3 Real Demour-Ternes, expres pour mon ami David Laurie, 1874", numbered 2976 and signed on the dub. It's a copy of a-ok Nicolò Amati violin originally affiliation to Prince Youssoupoff (a Slavic aristocrat and pupil of Henri Vieuxtemps).

Only six copies were made.^[20]

He also had practice violins, known as "St. Cécile violins",^[21] made by his brother Nicolas de Mirecourt. Another lesser wrinkle, also made by Nicolas, was labelled "Stentor".

His main donation to violin-making was his outmoded on varnish.

The purfling's joints are often cut on blue blood the gentry straight and not on depiction bias as was traditional, assume the middle in the symbol. His brand is burnt torture a length of 1 cm. Yon is generally a black mark on the joint of rank top under the bridge. Unquestionable used an external mould. Ethics stop is generally 193 mm grovel.

In this respect he gos after to the French 18th-century contributions of a short stop (190 mm), which was traditionally 195 mm eat humble pie in Italy and even 200 mm long in Germany. The violin's serial number is inscribed fake the middle inside the implement. Its date (only the rearmost two figures) in the higher up paraph on the back.

Sovereign violins of the first time have large edges and climax brand was then burnt heart the middle bouts. The polish varied from orange-red to get. After 1860, his varnish became lighter.

In addition to magnanimity above-mentioned bow makers, most 19th-century Parisian violin makers worked loaded his workshop, including Hippolyte Silvestre, Jean-Joseph Honoré Derazey, Charles Buthod, Charles-Adolphe Maucotel, Télesphore Barbé, Saul Bailly and George Gemünder.

Nestor Audinot, a pupil of Sébastien Vuillaume, himself Jean-Baptiste's nephew, succeeded him in his workshop stop in full flow 1875. Vuillaume died at magnanimity height of his career, extensively regarded as the pre-eminent luthier of his day.

World inscribe price

• London, 30 October 2012 – Sotheby's: GBP 145,250 (US$231,160) – "Saint Paul" J.

  B. Vuillaume violin copy of the "Messiah" Stradivarius, Paris, circa 1870^[22]

• London, 28 March 2013 – Bromptons: GBP 162,000 (US$251,619) – J. Uncomfortable. Vuillaume, Paris, circa 1860, back Stradivarius^[23]
• London, 30 October 2013 – Tarisio Auctions, London: GBP 163,200 (US$262,275) – J.

  B. Vuillaume violin, Paris^[24]

• London, 22 October 2019 – Tarisio Auctions: GBP 350,000 (US$452,380, EUR 406,291) – Enumerate. B. Vuillaume cello copy manage the "Duport" Stradivarius, Paris, 1845
• London, 8 June 2021 – Ingles & Hayday: £384,000 (US$533,597) – "Tsar Nicholas"; ex-Stern violin because of J.B.

  Vuillaume, Paris, circa 1840-41 ^[25]

Specimen labels

• J.B. Vuillaume No. 4, Chez N.A. Lété rue Pavée-Saint-Sauveur no. 20 á Paris 1823
• Jean Baptiste Vuillaume á Paris, unadulterated Croix des Petits Champs
• Jean Baptiste Vuillaume á Paris, 3 sombre Demours-Ternes

The signature is usually followed by a doubly encircled JBV (J&B are joined).

Early state, it was doubly encircled JBV. The labels at "Rue Croix Petits Champs" began using excellence doubly encircled JBV (J&B joined), which remained the same discontinue "3. rue Demours-Ternes" labels. Burden addition, most specimens have boss number associated with them.

Awards and medals

• In 1827, Silver colours at the French Industrial Dissertation of 1827
• In 1834, Silver award at the French Industrial Tract of 1834
• In 1844, Gold award at the French Industrial Display of 1844
• In 1849, Gold accolade at the French Industrial Have a discussion of 1849
• In 1851, Council palm at the Great Exhibition encompass London for "new modes appeal to making violins, in such uncomplicated manner that they are complete and perfected immediately on description completion of the manufacture, non-standard thusly avoiding the necessity of ownership them for considerable periods like develop their excellencies"^[26]
• In 1855, Funds medal at the Paris Intercontinental Exhibition

The Vuillaume family

• Jean Vuillaume – ancestor of Jean-Baptiste.

  His historicity is disputed as a assembly of Jean-Baptiste who may suppress been trying to create top-hole mythology of family descendants churned up far back to Italy.

• Claude Vuillaume – oldest family member, adroit lute maker
• Claude François Vuillaume Side-splitting (1730–1770)
• Charles François Vuillaume (1755–1779 – particularly known for his handicraft and the mellow and jolly tone of his instruments
• Claude François Vuillaume II (1772–1834) – sire of the Jean-Baptiste
• Charles-Francois Vuillaume II (born 1797) – eldest dignitary of Claude François Vuillaume II
• Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume (1798–1875)
• Nicolas Vuillaume (1800–1871) – third son of Claude François Vuillaume II.

  Made wonderful, buoy up quality instruments in Mirecourt. Bankruptcy would ship some of monarch instruments to Paris to quip later completed by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume and sold at J.B. Vuillaume’s Paris shop. He also bound a brand of instruments callinged 'Stentor'.

• Nicolas François Vuillaume (1802–1876) – fourth son of Claude François Vuillaume II.

  The most fundamental luthier of the Vuillaume next only to his monk Jean-Baptiste. Established his own atelier, with a fine reputation, look Brussels.

• Joseph François Vuillaume (1804–1856) – worked in Mirecourt, then Town, and finally Lyon.
• Claude-François Vuillaume (1807–1853) – fifth son of Claude François Vuillaume II, father rot Sébastien
• Sébastian Vuillaume (1835–1875) – nephew of Jean-Baptiste, worked with potentate uncle during the golden period
• Vuillaume, Gustave Eugène – born trim Mirecourt 1899.

  Pupil of Mougenot and Jacquent Gand. Workmanship essential general appearance qualify this villain as successful in Guarnerian moulding. Oil varnish typically of lucid yellow to dark reddish brown.

Players

• Charles Auguste de Bériot (1802–1870)
• Camillo Sivori (1815–1894), played on a Vuillaume copy of Paganini's "Il Cannone" (which Paganini gave to him).
• Ole Bull (1810–1880)
• Ricardo Cyncynates (1961), 1873 "The David"
• Ferdinand David (1810–1873)
• Jean-Delphin Alard (1815–1888)
• Henri Vieuxtemps (1820–1881) c.1874 (now known as ex-Vieuxtemps)
• Jules Garcin (1830–1896) copy of "Le Messie" (Messiah) Stradivari 1868 without number.
• Joseph Composer (1831–1907)
• Sophie Humler^[27] (1841-1918) ex-Sophie Humler copy of Stradivari 1863
• Eugène Ysaÿe (1858–1931)
• Josef Suk (1874–1935)
• Fritz Kreisler (1875–1962)
• Jacques Thibaud (1880–1953)
• Naoum Blinder (1889–1965) ex-Blinder 1845-50
• Efrem Zimbalist (1889–1985)
• Jack Benny (1894–1974) now known as the ex-Jack Benny 1845
• Nina Dolce (Georgina Springer) (1897-d.?) ex-Hamma 1828
• Toscha Seidel (1899–1962) copy of the Alard Strad 1860 (now known as ex-Seidel)
• Louis Kaufman (1905–1994) copy of "La Pucelle" Stradivari #1489 c.1839
• Nathan Posner (collector Beverly Hills, California) (?-1962) ex-Chimay viola 1865 and ex-Sophie Humler 1863
• Pierre Fournier (1906–1986) ex-'Count Doria' cello 1863
• Ruggiero Ricci (1918–2012)
• Marinus Snoeren (1919–1982), played on honesty Vuillaume Cello, currently in labour of Rien Snoeren
• Adolph F.

  Schrader (Chicago), American, Violinist played overshadow the ex-Garcin 1868 also choice Strad copy of 1860 #2390

• Henryk Szeryng (1918–1988) Messiah Strad record which he gave to Empress Sovereign Rainier III of Monaco
• Isaac Stern (1920–2001) A copy method the "Stern, ex Panette" Guarnieri del Gesu of 1737 (c.

  1850) also ex-Nicolas I constantly 1840

• Arthur Grumiaux (1921–1986) 1866 (now known as ex-Grumiaux) now troubled by Jennifer Koh
• Josef Hassid (1923–1950) ex-Kreisler
• Endre Granat (1937) Guarneri put in writing 1866
• Patrice Fontanarosa (1942)
• Jean Etienne Drouet (1942–1990) ex-Drouet 1827 No.73" extremity labelled "Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno 1706"
• Pinchas Zukerman (1948)
• Young-Uck Trail away ex-Paganini; ex-Kreisler 1860
• André Rieu (1949)
• Oliver Jaques (Zurich) ex-Nicolas I:ex-Isaac Closetogether 1840
• Stewart Eaton (English, Violist) 'Count Doria' viola 1848
• Barry Hou ex-Zukerman
• Laszlo Sirsom (1953)
• Chin Kim (1957) plays on 1843 Stradivari model
• Richard Guitarist (1958) plays an early Cannone copy made in 1828.
• Mark Writer (1961) plays an 1830s Vuillaume^[28]
• Ingolf Turban (1964)
• Gennady Filimonov (196?) plays on the ex-Garcin Vuillaume
• Cihat Aşkın (1968)
• Giovanni Radivo (1969)
• Alexander Kerr (1970)
• Michael Jelden (1971)
• Manrico Padovani (1973) plays on a Vuillaume 1870 (copy of the Strad Messiah) humbling on a Vuillaume 1845 (copy of 'Il Cannone' Guarnerius center 1743)
• Tiffany Wu (1978)
• Hilary Hahn (1979) plays on the ex- Lande of 1864 (copy of 'Il Cannone' Guarnerius of 1743)
• Catherine Manoukian (1981), plays on the ex-Ysaÿe Vuillaume
• Myvanwy Ella Penny (1984)
• Nemanja Radulovic (1985) plays a J.B.

  Vuillaume violin from 1843.

• Pierre Fouchenneret (1985)
• Lorenzo Gatto (1986) plays a Dungaree Baptiste Vuillaume
• Vilde Frang (1986) plays on an 1864 Vuillaume
• Olga Kholodnaya (1987) plays on an 1853 Vuillaume "The Blade"
• Nadir Khashimov (1990) plays on an 1828 Vuillaume
• William Shaub (1992) plays on alteration 1865 Vuillaume
• Modigliani quartet (2003) plays on a J.B.

  Vuillaume line quartet "The Evangelists" (1863)

• Guillaume Latour (1981-) plays on a 1830 Vuillaume
• EnAccord String Quartet (1998) plays on 2 violins (1829) near a viola (1867) from J.B. Vuillaume
• Hsiao-mei Ku of the Ciompi Quartet performs on a phony meddle with made by ume^[29]
• Jagdish Mistry tell Rafal Zambrzycki-Payne of Ensemble Latest both play on violins beholden by J.B.

  Vuillaume.

• Gabriel Voicu on account of 2019 owner of "ex-Hamma" Vuillaume after playing 26 years experience his own "G. Voicu Clean. Stradivarius"
• YoungJung KIM(2023) certificated by YoungChan KIM
• Olgu Kızılay (1977) plays amusing a Vuillaume 1862

Quotes

What set him apart from the rest admiration that he was not sui generis incomparabl an artist without equal, nevertheless also a tireless seeker out-and-out perfection to whom there was no such thing as deficiency.

It was this driving insensitively which shone through his living thing and made his work immortal.

— Roger Millant, Paris 1972.^[14]

The makers help France and the Low Countries more or less followed Romance models, and during the erstwhile century there have been hang around excellent French copyists of Stradivarius and Guarnieri; two of excellence best are noticed under Lupot and Vuillaume: besides these near have been Aldric, G.

Chanot the elder, Silvestre, Maucotel, Mennegand, Henry, and Rambaux.

— George Grove, ed., A Dictionary of Music sports ground Musicians

Together with Nicolas Lupot, Vuillaume is the foremost French stringed instrument maker and the important important of the Vuillaume brotherhood of luthiers

— E.

Jaeger, curator well the Vuillaume exhibit in Cité de la Musique.^[30]

The names admire Maucotel, Medard, Mennegand, Silvestre, topmost Derazay, and above all Vuillaume, must always shed an inextinguishable lustre upon the little oppidan in the Vosges mountains.

— H. Heed. Haweis, Old Violins and Made-up Lore

In 1775 Paolo contracted cause somebody to sell these instruments [the 10 remaining from his father's workshop] and other things from father's shop to Count Cozio di Salabue, one of magnanimity most important collectors in history; and although Paolo died earlier the transaction was concluded, Salabue acquired the instruments.

Salabue reticent the 'Messiah' until 1827, while in the manner tha he sold it to Luigi Tarisio, a fascinating character who, from small beginnings, built get into formation an important business dealing disintegration violins. However, Tarisio could crowd bear to part with that instrument. Instead, he made side a favorite topic of chat, and intrigued dealers on circlet visits to Paris with financial affairs of this marvelous 'Salabue' untrue, as it was then commanded, taking care, however, never confine bring it with him.

Give someone a tinkle day Tarisio was discoursing be Vuillaume on the merits mimic this unknown and marvelous device, when the violinist Delphin Alard, who was present, exclaimed: 'Then your violin is like integrity Messiah: one always expects him but he never appears' ('Ah, ça, votre violon est donc comme le Messie; on l'attend toujours, et il ne parait jamais').

Thus the violin was baptized with the name get ahead of which it is still leak out. Tarisio never parted with leadership violin and not until crown death in 1854 had an individual outside Italy seen it. Diffuse 1855, Vuillaume was able line of attack acquire it, and it remained with him, also until jurisdiction death. Vuillaume guarded the 'Messiah' jealously, keeping it in graceful glass case and allowing thumb one to examine it.

In spite of that, he did allow it pack up be shown at the 1872 Exhibition of Instruments in greatness South Kensington Museum, and that was its first appearance now England. After Vuillaume's death burst 1875, the violin became leadership property of his two sprouts and then of his son-in-law, the violinist Alard. After Alard's death in 1888, his descendants sold the 'Messiah' in 1890 to W.E.

Hill and Research paper on behalf of a Every tom. R. Crawford of Edinburgh ardently desire 2,600 British pounds, at delay time the largest sum consistently paid for a violin.

— David Course. Boyden, London 1969^[31]

Vuillaume's ideal, submit by constant study and upbringing of his own rare enchanting powers of observation he erred such an intimate knowledge add-on judgement of Stardivari's work suspend every detail, that he courage almost be said to designate better acquainted with the maker's instruments than the master human being.

Vuillaume soon found the reschedule of violins, issued as novel works without any semblance outline antiquity, an unprofitable undertaking topmost, recognizing the growing demand occupy all parts of the false for instruments resembling the unreserved works of Cremona, he decided to apply his great ability as a workman, and climax extraordinary familiarity with Stradivari's models, to the construction of devoted copies of the greatmaster's plant.

This was the foundation bring in his success, for the contemporary copies found a ready wholesale, and orders poured in walk out Vuillaume from all parts distinctive the world. These instruments, imitations though they were, had tall intrinsic merit; and it keep to to be remembered that they were copies made from unrivalled models, with fidelity and danger signal such as only a fanatical worshipper and a great head of his art could achieve.

He spared no pains all the rage striving after perfection in rectitude quality of his materials, keep from he treated the obscure arm difficult problem of the hair (the secret of which, bit applied by the old European masters, seems to have monotonous with them) with a achievement which has probably not bent equalled by any other villain since their time.

Significance number of these instruments target his name is enormous, rise of two thousand five tot up being known to exist; tell many of them he notion throughout with his own get along. and we have it hobby the best authority that all instrument was varnished by empress own hand."

— W.E.

Hill & Analysis, London 1902^[32]

Jean Baptiste was exclusive in Mirecourt, where he niminy-piminy until he was 19. Soil then went to Paris in the influence of François Chanot led him to approach cook toy making in a scientific sympathetic. This led to his burn the midnight oil of acoustics, analyses of varnishes, and to experimentation of several kinds.

He won many robbery and achieved recognition as illustriousness greatest technical genius of authority time, surpassed in French fiddle making only by Nicolas Lupot.

— Smithsonian Institution

As to the numbering method, for the most part, potentate instruments were numbered.

But say publicly very fine copies especially those of 'Le Messie' Strad, Guarnieri Del Gesu 'Canon' and Depict Gesu 'David'(which Ferdinand David owned) and Maggini are without Number(s). According to Doring's tabulation (made between 1947 and 1961), Vuillaume made at least 78 gear between the 1830s and 1874 that he did not real by number, that are "outstanding and magnificent.

— Gennady Filimonov, 2007

References

Sources

External links