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Scan 126
The Hawley Collection of violins, 1904
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1THE HAWLEY COLLECTION OF VIOLINS
3wood comparable for beauty, nor the work so cleverly executed; yet for tone his violins rank with those of many other pupils of Amati, nor do they suffer in such comparison as regards workmanship. His model is as a rule more highly developed than those of his contemporaries, and he employed an outline similar to that of Amati. In later years, influenced no doubt by the work of other makers who were his neighbors, he lowered his model, broadened it, changed the style of his sound holes, so that he originated a pattern and was no longer a mere copyist, a point greatly in his favor. These violins may easily be mistaken for Amati's. In fact, comparison side by side is often necessary to bring out the points of difference. He was married in 1652, according to Mr. Fleming, and his eldest son, Pietro, was born in 1655, on the 18th day of February.
5Pietro Guarneri was an artist whose best work entitled him to a high place in the annals of the art. His work, however, differs greatly in quality, no doubt because of the state of the market. Some of his violins are among the most beautiful of Cremonese work. They are covered with a marvelously beautiful varnish, often of a deep rich red, and the wood leaves nothing to be desired for beauty or tonal qualities. He flattened the model somewhat and widened the breast by increasing the distance between the sound holes, which are set rather perpendicularly and near the edges. His scroll is cut in faultless manner, and possesses both originality of design and artistic beauty. His edges are beautifully finished, and the purfling is rather deeply set in. A fine example of the work of Pietro is in the possession of Miss Maude MacCarthy. His cheaper instruments show the result of less care and attention. The wood, while not so handsome, is always satisfactory from the acoustical point of view. The model is sometimes very high and the outline more slender. These violins have usually a darker and less beautiful varnish. He signed himself "Cremonsis," that is, from Cremona, his label reading, "Petrus Guarnerius,—ect."
7Giuseppe (Joseph) Guarneri, the second son of Andrea, was born November 25, 1666, and is ranked as a liutaro next in importance in the Guarneri family to his great cousin, Giuseppe Antonio del Gesù. He learned his trade, no doubt, in the workshop of his father, Andrea, and developed his ideals under the influence of association with the great men who were flourishing in his immediate neighborhood. At the time of Joseph's birth, Stradivari had actually started out for himself, and when he was eighteen, the death of the Nestor of the craft, Nicola Amati, occurred. That Joseph profited much by their example is shown conclusively in his work. His violins differ widely from both those of his father Andrea and brother Pietro, and give proof positive that he received from outside sources as much inspiration, if not more, than he did in the shop of his father. He seems to have remained in business with Andrea, however, until the death of the latter, in 1698, always signing himself "Joseph, son of Andrea." It is supposed by some that he so designated himself that his work might be distinguished from that of his cousin, the great Joseph. There must have been another reason, however, for be it remembered that Joseph del Gesù did not begin to make violins until 1720 (at least none earlier than that date is known), while Joseph, son of Andrea, always signed his labels thus even when his cousin was a boy working with him in the shop as an apprentice. Possibly he may have had an arrangement with his father to their mutual benefit, for obviously neither would gain by operating separate establishments in Cremona, and the plan to remain to-
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