Scan 131
Joseph Guarnerius, his work and his master [Andreas Gisalberti], 1906
14 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 83. See the scan on archive.org.
1differ from him in conception of the combined beauties which he brought together, while at the same time producing a result having the stamp of highest excellence upon it.
3Many beautiful designs by makers not yet acknowledged to be in the first rank have thus appeared at times, circumstances being very favourable for allowing the man to unfold before the eyes of the world the wealth of power that was innate within him.
5As an instance the Mantua maker, Balestrieri, may be referred to; the public generally know of him as a rough although characteristic maker, but on convenient occasion, or when allowed, he could manifest his powers as an artist of a very high degree of talent.
7Gisalberti's eccentricities in placing the sound holes may not have seemed so much out of the way when his violins first made their appearance, but the leaning back of the upper portion, being a well defined fancy of his, was a prominent feature at most times.
9In the violin with the Parma ticket of 1716 there is the distinct widening out of the space between the upper part of the sound holes; afterwards, when he had retired to Pesaro, he sent forth other patterns of like peculiarities—perhaps many more than we at present know of—but in the intermediate or Bozzolo specimens there is seemingly an effort at conforming with the tastes or requirements of the locality by placing the sound holes more vertical, or with the upper holes closer in.
11This, combined with less rise in the modelling may, I think, be taken as fair evidence of a desire to please his patrons; his varnish is of deeper colour than those hitherto met with belonging to Parma or Pesaro. There can be very little doubt that he could have imparted a more intense hue to his varnish had he felt inclined to do so, but there is still shown a desire to keep to a modest appearance rather than any approach to gaudiness.
13His sycamore is of the finest quality, as in all the other specimens known. Surely he must have taken to each place on route a large stock of this quality, it is so
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