Scan 202
The violin: its famous makers and their imitators, 1875
2 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1tury, recovering the Italian about the middle of the 18th century. It is remarkable that French makers should have restrained themselves from following the pattern of the famous German maker when his name was at its height and his instruments were in such demand. That in not adopting the then popular form they were rightly guided, experience has clearly demonstrated. When we scan the works the French have left us, and consider the advantage they had in keeping to the Italian form, we cannot but feel disappointed in finding so few meritorious instruments among them. There appears to have been many makers who were quite unconcerned as to whether their instruments possessed merit becoming the production of a true artist; their chief aim would seem to have been to make in dozens, in other words, quantity in place of quality. If the early French makers are carefully studied, it will be seen that Bocquay, Pierray, and one or two of their pupils are the only makers deserving of praise. It must be admitted that the shortcomings on the part of the makers of the first period were adequately supplied by those of the second period, which takes in the king of French artists, Nicholas Lupot. The old French school, originating with Médard and Tywersus, includes the following makers:—Nicholas Renault, of Nancy, Médard, also of Nancy, Bourdat, of Mirecourt, Dumenil, Bertrand, Bocquay, Gaviniès, Chapuy, Ouvrard, Paul Grosset, Despont, Saint Paul Saloman, Véron, with others of less importance.
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