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Scan 51
A dictionary of violin makers
14 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 41. See the scan on archive.org.
1labels are dated 1742 and 1743. His son, Giambattista, was also a maker.
3Guarini, Joseph, b. at Geneva. A maker in Germigny, Vosges, in partnership with Jules Martin. His violins show thoroughly good workmanship, they have double purfling, are not much arched, and are made of carefully selected wood, with a full and powerful tone.
5Guarneri, Andrea, b. about 1626 at Cremona; d. there Dec. 7, 1698; was buried in the Church of San Domenico the following day. He was descended from an ancient and noble Cremonese family, and was the head of the celebrated family of makers, known by the Latin form of their name, "Guarnerius." Pupil of Antonio and Girolamo Amati; later, about 1641, of Nicola Amati, a fellow student being Antonio Stradivari. He was one of the witnesses at N. Amati's marriage in 1645, but was not with him in 1646, but was again there in 1653. While influenced by Ant. and Gir. Amati he made on a large pattern, but then for many years followed Nicola's pattern. About 1670 the character of his sound-holes changed, his model became flatter, and the scroll showed much character; this was probably when the influence of Stradivari began to be felt, one of whose earliest followers he became; but throughout he always retained a quite original and distinctive style of his own. Some of his instruments are beautifully made, especially his violins, which, in good condition, are very rare; violas, of which three are known, suggest, both in size and in a general way, Maggini's work; a violoncello is known, very beautiful not only in wood and varnish, but also in tone. As a rule he used good wood and excellent varnish, which varied greatly in colour from a golden yellow to orange, or even darker rose colour. The sound-holes also vary, but are generally straight; the pattern is slightly arched, the sides often low; the tone is brilliant, but does not carry well; the work is neat, but not highly finished. Labels: "Andreas Guarnerius fecit Cremonen sub titulo Sanctae Teresiæ, 1650" (similar labels are dated 1670, 1675, 1690, and 1696); "Andreas Guarnerius Cremonæ sub titulo Sanctae Teresiæ, 1691"; and "Sub disciplina, Andreæ Guarnerii in ejus officina sub titulo S. Teresiæ Cremonæ, 1676." He married, in the Church of San Clemente, Dec. 31, 1652, Anna Maria Orcelli (d. Jan. 13, 1695). He lived in Piazza San Domenico, now Piazza Roma. Two of his sons, Pietro Giovanni and Giuseppe Giovan Battista, were makers.
7Guarneri, Antonio. Two labels, of doubtful authenticity, are dated 1722.
9Guarneri, Caterina (?), daughter of Andrea. Is said to have worked with her father and brothers, and to have made some violins in which were MS. labels.
11Guarneri, Gian Battista, son of Bernardo, who was a younger brother of Andrea. He married Angiola Maria Locatelli, Aug. 3, 1682, and had six children; four were sons, the eldest, Giuseppe Antonio, b. June 8, 1683; d. a few months after his birth; the second, the only violin maker of this branch of the family, was Giuseppe (del Jesù), b. Oct. 16, 1686. This is mentioned because the date of the eldest son, Giuseppe Antonio, is very frequently quoted as being that of Giuseppe, known as del Jesù, the great maker. Gian Battista himself was not a violin maker.
13Guarneri, Giuseppe, known as "del Jesù," because of the mark of a cross with the letters "I.H.S." beneath on all his labels. Was the second son of Gian Battista Guarneri, b. Oct. 17, 1686, at Cremona; d. there 1745. The date of his birth is entered in the registers of the parish of San Donato, at Cremona; his name also appears in other archives till the end of the year 1702, when all trace of him is lost; but "fecit Cremonæ" on all his labels proves that all his work was done at Cremona. Was said to be a pupil of Antonio Stradivari, but the character of his work does not authorise such a statement; it is impossible to say from whom he learnt, he worked on such totally different principles from those of contemporary makers; but his work sometimes resembles that of his cousin Giuseppe, son of Andrea. There is a tradition that he led an irregular life, was finally imprisoned until his death, and made violins in prison, with wood and varnish obtained first from one maker and then from another by the gaoler's daughter, who afterwards hawked the instruments round at miserable prices, to obtain money for him. This was probably invented to account for the number of inferior violins which contain his labels, probably all spurious, for even
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