Scan 133
Joseph Guarnerius, his work and his master [Andreas Gisalberti], 1906
6 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 85. See the scan on archive.org.
1tact with them, that these violins were made by other hands than those of the renowned Joseph Guarnerius, of Cremona.
3Let us think for a moment how these instruments may have appeared to the eyes of intending purchasers of old masters: a selected number of violins being produced of various styles and with different degrees of finish, were offered, frequently in good faith, by the vendors, and as lawyers sometimes put it, according to the best of their knowledge and belief, that the particular specimens were genuine and even typical of the master whose work they had too readily assumed them to be, in total absence of knowledge of any such maker as Andreas Gisalberti having lived. The rugged aspect, apparently hasty execution, often uneven insertion of the purfling, curiously free drawing of the sound holes, the fine quality of the pine, excellent figure of the sycamore, not omitting the boldly and sometimes finely designed scroll—these, with the pellucid varnish, would be referred to as very strong evidence against any disputant.
5If more evidence were deemed necessary to support the foregoing, it would supposititously be supplied by the style of drawing adopted for the waist curves. The invariable shortness of these (so far as my knowledge goes) would not be considered as of much account by one whose wish was father to the thought in the matter; the principal feature in the design of this part by Gisalberti being the frequent large sweep of line at the upper part, so distinct from and opposite to anything seen in the work of Stradivari, or of the Amatis. It is quite within the bounds of possibility that Joseph Guarnerius, having this peculiarity of design constantly before him while being reared in the art of designing and constructing violins, had come to look upon it as a canon or necessary law to follow in precedence to any other, and, retaining the influence to a more or less degree during the whole of his career, was indisposed to make any wide departure from the pet fancy of his teacher, but rather to extend or develop the idea. This would be quite in
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