Books › The Hawley Collection of violins, 1904 › scan 131
Scan 131
The Hawley Collection of violins, 1904
12 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1GIUSEPPE (JOSEPH) GUARNERI, SON OF ANDREA
3gether being to their mutual liking, such an arrangement would serve to distinguish their work and yet consolidate their interests. In later years it no doubt served to denote that there were two Josephs in the same profession, as he has always since been spoken of by his self-given title. Joseph, son of Andrea, adopted a model of graceful and elegant proportions, slender in the middle bouts and widening rapidly in the lower half of the body. His sound holes are placed low down in the body of the instrument. In the graceful sweeps of the edge there is much to remind one of Nicola Amati. Joseph's work, however, was heavier in appearance than that of Nicola Amati. His edges and corners are beautifully fashioned and his purfling proclaims him to have been a master hand in the manipulation of tools. His best period seems to have been from 1690 to 1710. He was extremely fortunate in having at his command at this time a supply of as beautiful wood as was ever used in Cremona.
5The date of the death of Joseph, son of Andrea, is not known, but is believed to have occurred about 1735. He left a son, Pietro, who was also a violin-maker. This Pietro, nephew of the better known Pietro, was born April 14, 1695. As a workman he was well up to the Guarneri tradition. He seems to have gone to Mantua and to have learned his trade in the shop of his uncle rather than in that of his father in Cremona. His violins are very much like those of his uncle. He flattened his edges somewhat, but in respect to his arching followed very closely after the model of Pietro. He possessed varnish of exceptional merit. As a rule, he used very handsome wood, especially in his backs and sides, occasionally employing bird's-eye maple. He finished his work carefully and left plenty of wood in his instruments. He does not appear to have been a prolific workman, as both violins and 'cellos by him are scarce, which is unfortunate. His death is supposed to have taken place about 1760, so that he was the last liutaro of the great violin-making family of Guarneri.
7The Hawley Joseph son-of-Andrea Guarneri, which has always been considered one of the finest specimens of the maker, shows to good advantage the beauty of his wood and the fine quality and rich coloring of his varnish. It is in splendid preservation, and therefore affords one a correct estimate of the ability of the maker. Mr. Hawley counted himself as most fortunate when he secured it through Mr. Hart's co-operation in November, 1877.
9Mr. Hart in a critical survey of this violin pronounced it "the finest of its kind." And in this high opinion all must share who have listened to its voice, a voice of wondrous depth and richness.
11Measurements will be found in the Table of Measurements.
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