Books › the history of the violin, 1864 › scan 248
Scan 248
the history of the violin, 1864
11 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. Printed page 226. See the scan on archive.org.
1in 1748. Two of the sons, as before-mentioned, worked with their father, of whom Homobono died in June 1742, and Francesco in May 1743. The unusual duration of his life will account for the great number of instruments reported to have been made by him; but though there are many that bear his tickets, genuine specimens are scarce, and it is to be feared that instruments are sometimes put forward with great pretence, of which the authenticity may well be doubted, the proprietors not having the prudence of La Monnoye, in his epitaph on "Louis Barbier Abbé de la Riviere," who, in 1670, left 100 crowns for one—
3 "Ci-git un tres-grand personnage,
4 Qui fut d'un illustre lignage,
5 Qui posseda mille vertus,
6 Qui ne trompa jamais, qui fut toujours fort sage,
7 Je n'en dirai pas davantage;
8 C'est trop mentir pour cent escus."
10Antoine Stradiuarius is described as having been tall and thin, and he was in easy circumstances, his usual price for a violin having been four louis d'or, for which now probably from 100l. to 200l. would be given, while violoncellos would much exceed this price; we shall refer to some particular instruments directly. The following ticket is given in "Luthomonographie"—"Antonius Straduarius Cremona faciebat anno 16… ." In the same work there is an account of a violin dated 1702, purchased of the family of Stradiuarius in 1790 by Giov. Gagliano; it had never been varnished, but was acknowledged by Paganini in 1820 as a genuine instrument. Prince Youssoupow bought it in 1854, and added it to the celebrated collection of instruments in his palace at St. Petersburgh. It is probably this instrument that is described in the same work as of grand pattern, with the back in two parts, the body, sides, and neck, of wood
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