Giovanni Battista (I) Grancino
Highest auction price
£209,600
Auction price history
| Type | Details | Sold | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violin | 35.3 cm Milan, 1697 c. (head reported to be from another instrument) | Tue 1st November 2011 | £101,496 |
| Cello | 77.3 cm Milan, 1700 c. (later scroll) | Sat 1st October 2011 | £121,250 |
| Violin | 35.5 cm Milan, 1690 c. (table & head replaced) | Wed 1st June 2011 | £66,129 |
| Violin | 35.3 cm 1698 c. [Lit.] | Tue 1st March 2011 | £144,000 |
| Violin | 35.6 cm 1800 c. (the head later) [Attributed to] | Wed 1st December 2010 | £4,561 |
| Viola | 39.8 cm Milan, C 1670 [Ascribed to, or by "Ferdinando Alberti"] | Fri 1st October 2010 | £108,904 |
| Violin | 35.3 cm Milan, 1690 c. | Thu 1st April 2010 | £69,045 |
| Violin | 35.5 cm [Ascribed to] | Mon 1st June 2009 | £11,360 |
| Violin | 35.9 cm Mailand, 1697 | Sat 1st November 2008 | £66,855 |
| Violin | 35.4 cm Milan, 17… c. (scroll possibly not original) | Mon 1st October 2007 | £91,384 |
| Violin | 35.5 cm [Attributed to] | Tue 1st May 2007 | £9,217 |
| Violin | 35.4 cm Milan, 1690 c. | Mon 1st May 2006 | £35,257 |
| Cello | Milan, 1693 with 'Provenance' | Tue 1st November 2005 | £209,600 |
| Violin | Milan, 1700 c. | Tue 1st November 2005 | £80,525 |
| Violin | Milan, 1720 c. [Attributed to] | Sun 1st May 2005 | £21,600 |
| Violin | Milan, 1710 c. | Sun 1st May 2005 | £50,437 |
| Violin | [Ascribed to] | Fri 1st April 2005 | £15,038 |
| Violin | Milan, 1695 c. | Mon 1st November 2004 | £72,000 |
| Violin | Milan, 1695 c. (worm damage) | Fri 1st October 2004 | £46,055 |
| Viola | 39.8 cm Milan, 1710 c. | Thu 1st April 2004 | £40,392 |
| Violin | 1700 c. | Sat 1st November 2003 | £81,600 |
| Violin | 1690 | Sat 1st June 2002 | £36,905 |
| Violin | 1687 | Mon 1st November 1999 | £45,000 |
| Violin | 1695 | Mon 1st November 1999 | £111,500 |
| Cello | 1693 | Sun 1st November 1998 | £184,000 |
| Violin | 1662 | Sat 1st June 1996 | £47,700 |
| Violin | 1695 | Sat 1st June 1996 | £44,400 |
| Violin | 1700 c. | Thu 1st June 1995 | £45,500 |
| Viola | 42.1 cm 1690 c. | Wed 1st March 1995 | £52,900 |
| Cello | 1690 c. | Wed 1st June 1994 | £39,600 |
| Violin | 1690 c. | Mon 1st November 1993 | £31,050 |
| Violin | 1720 c. | Tue 1st June 1993 | £36,700 |
| Violin | 1700 c. | Sat 1st May 1993 | £27,867 |
| Cello | 1685-90 | Sun 1st November 1992 | £9,900 |
| Violin | 1705 c. | Sun 1st November 1992 | £24,200 |
| Cello | 70.5 cm 16-- | Wed 1st April 1992 | £14,850 |
| Cello | 1700 c. | Thu 1st November 1990 | £41,800 |
| Violin | 1719 | Thu 1st March 1990 | £41,800 |
| Violin | 1703 c. | Wed 1st November 1989 | £41,800 |
| Violin | 1670 c. | Thu 1st June 1989 | £29,700 |
| Cello | 1701 | Tue 1st November 1988 | £61,600 |
| Violin | 1690 c. | Tue 1st November 1988 | £4,620 |
| Cello | 1703 | Mon 1st June 1987 | £52,800 |
| Cello | 1690 c. | Wed 1st April 1987 | £33,000 |
| Cello | 1700 c. | Thu 1st May 1986 | £31,900 |
| Cello | 1695 | Sat 1st March 1986 | £28,600 |
| Violin | 1690 c. | Thu 1st March 1984 | £6,050 |
| Violin | 1708 | Sun 1st January 1984 | £15,156 |
| Violin | 1706 | Tue 1st November 1983 | £12,100 |
| Violin | 1723 | Wed 1st June 1983 | £7,700 |
| Violin | 1725 | Mon 1st November 1982 | £9,350 |
| Cello | 1700-25 | Thu 1st April 1982 | £17,600 |
| Cello | 1684 | Sat 1st November 1980 | £17,600 |
Biographies
John Dilworth
GRANCINO, Giovanni Battista (I) Born 1637, died 1709 Milan Italy Eldest son of Andrea Grancino, above. Lived and worked in the Contrada Larga, as did the others of the family and most of the known Milanese violin makers. His shop, presumably inherited from his father, was identified by the sign ‘della Corona’ which is given on his labels. After early work with his brother, Giovanni developed a distinctive and original style, and is the foremost maker of the Milan school. Teacher of Carlo Antonio Testore and employer of Bartolomeo Pasta, previously a pupil of Nicolò Amati in Cremona. He also taught his son, Giovanni Battista (II), below, but disinherited him in 1709 after his involvement in the murder of Antonio Maria Lavazza. The elder Grancino’s earlier broad Andrea Guarneri-like work developed into an elegant and very personal model distinguished by a narrow edge with delicate, slightly drooping upper corners, a low but pinched arching, and beautifully rendered soundholes with a strong Stradivarian influence evident in the broad wings. The scroll too is very distinctive, the volutes deeply dished and narrow with a small eye of almost conical shape. The varnish is of a rich yellow-gold colour. A very fine double-purfled contralto viola is in the collection or the Royal Academy of Music, London, but otherwise he seems not to have made violas without the assistance of his brother. Cellos are more common, but were made on a very large pattern, and most of those in use today have been cut down. Gio. Bapt. Grancino in Contrada / Largha di Milano, anno 16.. Gio. Grancino al Segno della Corona / in Contrada larga di Milano, fece 16..
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