Katarina Guarneri

Vienna, b. c.1700

Katarina Guarneri (c. 1700-after 1748) was the wife of the renowned luthier Bartolomeo Giuseppe 'del Gesù', whom she married in 1722. Born Rota, she settled in Cremona, and her identity was clarified by late 20th-century documentation, dispelling earlier theories. While historical accounts offer conflicting details about her familial connections and training, there is speculation, rooted in oral traditions, that she may have assisted in her husband's workshop or even crafted instruments herself. Some sources refer to violins with her manuscript label, though the open sale of such instruments under her name would have been unusual for the period. A published label bearing her name and dated 1749 raises questions given her apparent departure from Cremona in 1748.

Worked Vienna

Maker Overview

Life

Katarina Guarneri (circa 1700-after 1748) was born around 1700 and died after 1748 in Vienna, Austria.'s The Brompton's Book of Violin & Bow Makers, she was the wife of Bartolomeo Giuseppe 'del Gesù', whom she married in 1722. Her family name was Rota, and she likely came to Cremona with the Austrian army. Documentary evidence of Katarina's name and identity was discovered in the late 20th century, which clarified earlier speculation that she was del Gesù's sister. Sources contain conflicting information regarding Katarina Guarneri's identity and familial relationships. Cecie Stainer's A Dictionary of Violin Makers identifies her as the daughter of Andrea Guarneri. Willibald Leo Lütgendorff, in Die Geigen- und Lautenmacher vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart, discusses a "Catarina Q." who made violins, suggesting this might refer to Pietro Guarneri's wife, Catarina Sussagni, rather than Anna Caterina, daughter of Giuseppe Guarneri, who died in 1698. After del Gesù's death in 1744, Katarina remarried in 1748 and appears to have left Cremona in that same year.

Characteristics

Workshop Assistance: Speculation that Katarina Guarneri may have assisted her husband in the workshop or made some instruments in her own right stems from F. J. Fetis' published account in 1856, which cited Cremonese oral traditions. It is considered plausible that she assisted in the workshop, especially since the couple had no children.
Labeled Instruments: De Picollelis (1885) refers to violins with her manuscript label. A printed ticket, somewhat surprisingly found in a viola, has been published by Henley, following Petherick (1905), though the original has not yet been verified.
Customs of the Time: It is considered very unlikely, according to the customs of the time, that instruments bearing her name would have been openly sold. Any such instruments would very likely have been later relabeled and sold as the work of del Gesù.
Conflicting Views on Production: Willibald Leo Lütgendorff states that he has never known of violins made by a Caterina G. Cecie Stainer, however, notes that Katarina is said to have made some violins with manuscript labels.

Recorded labels

Katarina Guarneria Fecit
Cremone Anno 1749John Dilworth

Influence and legacy

Familial Training: Cecie Stainer's A Dictionary of Violin Makers states that Katarina Guarneri is said to have worked with her father and brothers.
Possible Mentorship: Willibald Leo Lütgendorff discusses a "Catarina Q." described as a pupil of the brothers Giuseppe and Pietro Guarneri, though he questions if this refers to Katarina Guarneri or Pietro Guarneri's wife, Catarina Sussagni.

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Biographies

The overview above is drawn from the following published accounts. Read them in the original:

John Dilworth+

GUARNERI, Katarina Born circa. 1700, d. after 1748 Vienna Austria Wife of Bartolomeo Giuseppe ‘del Gesù’, whom she married in 1722. Her family name was Rota, and she probably came to Cremona with the Austrian army. Speculation that she may have assisted her husband in the workshop or made some instruments in her own right stems from F. J. Fetis’ published account (1856) of Cremonese oral traditions to that effect. De Picollelis (1885) refers to violins with her manuscript label, but only one printed ticket, somewhat surprisingly found in a viola, has been published [Henley, following Petherick, 1905]; the original has not yet been verified. The label has some credibility since the documentary evidence of Katarina’s name and identity was only discovered in the late 20th century; in earlier publications there is speculation that she was the sister of del Gesù. The remaining difficulty is that the date given on the label is 1749. After del Gesù’s death in 1744 she remarried in 1748 and seems to have left the city in that year. It is certainly plausible that, since the couple had no children, Katarina may have assisted in the workshop. Any instruments bearing her name, although this would seem very unlikely according to the customs of the time, would very likely have been later relabelled and sold as the work of del Gesù. Katarina Guarneria Fecit / Cremone Anno 1749 I.H.S.

Cecie Stainer+

Daughter of Andrea. Is said to have worked with her father and brothers, and to have made some violins in which were MS. labels.

Willibald Leo Lütgendorff+

Wenn es mehr als eine Sage ist, dass auch eine Catarina Q. Geigen gemacht
hat, die als eine Schülerin der Brüder Giuseppe und Pietro G. bezeichnet wird,
dann konnte nur Pietro G.’s Ehefrau Catarina Sussagni (geb. um 1658) darunter
gemeint sein, da die Tochter seines jüngeren Bruders Giuseppe G. (Josephus G.),
Anna Caterina, geb. 19. März 1697, schon im Jahre 1698 verstorben ist. Geigen,
die von einer Caterina G. herrühren, sind mir zwar nie bekannt geworden,
aber es wäre immerhin möglich, dass Caterina, wenn sie ihren Mann überlebt
haben sollte, das Geschäft fortgesetzt hat.

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