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Scan 69
A dictionary of violin makers
10 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 59. See the scan on archive.org.
1a number of instruments on rather a broad pattern, with dark-brown varnish of poor quality. In the Paris Conservatoire Collection is a splendid violin made at Orléans in 1772. Labels: a curiously-spelt one, "François Lupot, luttier de la coure de Wirtenbergt à Stoutgard, 1765," and "Francisco Lupot fecit in Orléans, anno 177—." He married in 1754, at the age of 18, and his two sons, Nicolas and François, were both makers.
3Lupot, François, son of François Lupot (1736-1804); b. 1774, Orléans; d. Feb. 4, 1837, Paris. From 1815 until his death he worked in Paris at 18, rue d'Angivilliers at making bows only. He invented the "coulisse," or metal groove attached to the nut, and carefully fitted to the stick on which it works, a very useful contrivance, which has been in use ever since. He made beautiful bows, closely copied from the Tourte bow; they are still much liked.
5Lupot, Jean. A maker at Mirecourt, b. about 1674; d. March 1, 1749. His violins are not particularly good. His son, Laurent, was also a maker.
7Lupot, Laurent, son of Jean Lupot and his wife, Laure; b. 1696, Mirecourt. In 1747 he was acting as a schoolmaster at Plombières, but in 1751 established himself as a violin maker at Lunéville, where he remained till 1756. Later he moved to Orléans, and was working there, 1762. His instruments are only interesting as showing the sort of work that preceded that of Nicolas Lupot. His son, François (1736-1804), was also a maker.
9Lupot, Nicolas, son of François Lupot (1736-1804); b. 1758, Stuttgart; d. Aug. 13, 1824, Paris. He was the most distinguished member of this family, and exercised a great influence on the French School of violin making; he carefully studied the work of the Italian makers, especially of Antonio Stradivari, and finally combining theory and practice in an extraordinary degree, made instruments far above anything produced up to that time by French makers. In 1768 he went with his father to Orléans, and there learnt his trade; in 1792, while still living there, Pique, the Parisian maker, who was already well known for his violins, made an arrangement with him, by which he was to supply a certain number of violins "in the white" (i.e., unvarnished), at the rate of 30 francs each, to Pique, who had not the time to make them himself. This was good pay, for later J. B. Vuillaume only gave 15 or 20 francs (12s. to 16s.) for violins in this state, and now the price is about 40 to 50 francs (£1 12s. to £2). Nicolas went to Paris in 1794, but did not start his business in rue de Grammont till 1798; in 1806 he moved to rue Croix-des-petits-Champs, where he remained till his death; it was there that he produced his famous copies of Italian instruments. He did not attempt to be original, but worked until he could produce exact imitations of the great Stradivari violins; a few copies of Guarneri and Amati are known; they are very beautiful, but it was the Stradivari pattern that he was most successful with. The result of his large experience of the methods employed by Italian makers was incorporated in the Abbé Sibire's work, entitled "La Chélonomie ou le parfait luthier," published in Paris, 1806. He made many violins, altos, and violoncellos, which now fetch high prices; his earlier violins, those dated Orléans, and the first part of his time in Paris, are worth £20 or more; those made between 1804 and 1824, from £50 to £60 or more; his violoncellos are rarer, and a fine specimen is worth about £80. Some quintets of instruments (2 violins, 2 altos, and 1 violoncello), which he endeavoured to make similar in appearance and tone, are now very rare, and fetch fancy prices. It is said that every instrument that left his workshop was entirely made by his own hands; he was a real artist, and every small detail was beautifully finished. He used different varnishes, the usual one with time becomes cracked and lumpy-looking, which though a defect does not affect the tone. It is of good quality, free from hardness, but often too thick and heavy, especially on the violoncellos. The colour varies from yellow to dark red; the tone is always very fine Spohr used to play on one of Nicolas' violins during his concert tours; this instrument passed into the possession of Matthäi of Leipzig, and when he died into that of Ulrich. Nicolas was also famed for the skilful manner in which he repaired old Italian instruments. He had several distinguished pupils—Aug. Seb. P. Bernardel, Nicolas Eugène Gand, and Charles François Gand, his son-in-law and successor. In 1815 he was appointed maker to the King, and in 1816 maker to the Paris Conservatoire; this latter post involved
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