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Scan 56
The Hawley Collection of violins, 1904
15 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. Printed page 6. See the scan on archive.org.
1THE HAWLEY COLLECTION OF VIOLINS
3out into the open of the upper and lower arms of the sound hole) is of more than ordinary size, but is designed in such a masterly manner that it remains in perfect harmony with other parts of the sound hole and with the general character of the instrument. The middle bouts in Guarneri's work have a long, graceful sweep. The edges are somewhat raised and most beautifully rounded. In the design of his sound hole and the length of the middle bouts, Joseph drew on the master minds of Brescia. In respect to the manner in which his edges are finished, Giovanni Grancino would seem to have furnished the inspiration, although in the execution of the plan, there can be no comparison in workmanship. A peculiarity in outline, often overlooked by many students, is the flatness, or squareness, of the lower bouts at the bottom. This characteristic is noticeable in Guarneri's work throughout his career and was employed in the earliest instruments by his hand that have come to our notice. About 1730 Joseph adopted a much higher arching and the violins of this time differ in this respect from those of any other period. The wood employed is of remarkable beauty, and the thicknesses of the back and top are lessened, a change necessitated by the increased arching. A splendid specimen of this period (1732) is in the possession of Mr. Geo. A. Thresher,* of Newton, Mass.
5The shape of the sound hole is changed to conform to the general style of the instrument, and the timbre of tone has less of that characteristic virility found in the violins of all other periods. By 1734 his model became broader and the arching lower. The sound hole has a broader sweep in the lower portion, is not set so perpendicularly, and the ears are not carried nearly so far into the upper and lower bends.
7The year 1735 may be regarded as marking the beginning of the golden period in Guarneri's work. His model is reduced in size, the arching lessened in height, so that it is quite flat, and his every effort seems an endeavor to produce that peculiar Guarneri tone-timbre with which his name is alone identified, and upon which his fame securely rests. A rare example of Guarneri's work of 1735 is in the possession of Mr. H. O. Havemeyer, of New York. Another of wide European reputation is the specimen known as the D'Egville, now in the possession of a prince of Prussia. In the former, the varnish is of a lovely brownish red. In the latter, it is of a lighter shade of red. Some time in the early thirties, Joseph secured a log of pine wood which he valued as a treasure above price. Its acoustical quality was remarkably suited to the production of the peculiar tone quality he sought to bring into being. The great majority of his violins have tops of this wood. Its striking peculiarity is a dark vein which extends downward from the upper edge toward the sound hole, parallel with and near the fingerboard. Now it is found on the side of the G string, now on the other side, and, again, as in the case of the King Joseph, it appears on both sides.
9The year 1736 was not prolific in great work. In 1737, however, he completed that chef-d'oeuvre, the violin known as the King, which for finished workmanship, richness of varnish, and majesty of tone is conceded to mark
11* Measurements of the Thresher Guarneri:
12Length – – – – – – – – 13 7/8 inches.
13Width of upper bout – – – – – – 6 1/2 inches.
14Width of lower bout – – – – – – 8 3/8 inches.
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