Jean Baptiste Henry
Mattaincourt, 1757–1831
Jean Baptiste Henry (1757-1831) was a significant Parisian violin maker who trained in Mirecourt. He established his workshop near the St. Martin Monastery, later moving to Rue St. Martin, where his family continued the trade. Known for not labeling his own instruments, his work is recognized through careful study, with labels bearing his name typically applied by his sons, Jean Baptiste Felix and Charles.
Auction Price History
Highest auction price
| Type | Details | Auction house | Sold | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violin | 1820 c. | — | February 1996 | £2,070 |
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Maker Overview
Life
Jean Baptiste Henry (1757-1831) learned violin making in Mirecourt, then moved to Paris at a young age. He established his business in a house belonging to the St. Martin Monastery until 1788, a connection that provided him with exemptions from certain fees and penalties. After the abolition of ancient monastery privileges in 1788, he relocated to Rue St. Martin No. 175, a number later changed to 151, where his descendants continued the violin making trade. Active in Paris from 1781, he was born in Mattaincourt, Vosges, near Mirecourt, and passed away in Paris in 1831. He was considered among the better violin makers of his era, though recognizing his work requires careful study as he did not label his instruments; any labels bearing his name were affixed by his sons.
Characteristics
- Workmanship
- Jean Baptiste Henry was considered one of the better violin makers of his time.
- Labeling Practice
- He did not affix labels to his instruments; any labels bearing his name were added by his sons.
- Known Instruments
- A violin is known to be dated 1781.
Influence and legacy
- Training: Jean Baptiste Henry was apprenticed in Mirecourt.
- Family Tradition: His sons, Jean Baptiste Felix and Charles, were also violin makers and were responsible for labeling instruments with their father's name.
- Family Continuity: Jean Baptiste Henry was the head of a family of makers, and his descendants continued the violin making business in the same house on Rue St. Martin.
Biographies
The overview above is drawn from the following published accounts. Read them in the original:
John Dilworth+
HENRY, Jean Baptiste Born 1757 Mattaincourt, Vosges, died 1831 Paris France. Active in Paris from 1781. Work unlabelled.
George Hart+
Worked in Paris.
HENRY, Jean Baptiste Felix,
Established in Paris 1817.
Son of the [Henry, Jean Baptiste].
Cecie Stainer+
b. 1757 at Mataincourt, near Mirecourt (Vosges) ; d. 1831, Paris. He was the head of the present family of makers. Was apprenticed in Mirecourt, then went to Paris, and established himself in connection with the St. Martin Monastery, thereby obtaining exemption from certain fees and penalties he would otherwise have had to pay. He worked there till 1788, when the ancient privileges of the monasteries were abolished. Then moved into No. 175, rue Saint-Martin; the number was afterwards changed to 151, but his family always continued working in the same house.
A violin is dated 1781, but he did not put labels in his instruments, and those that bear his name were labelled by his sons, Jean Baptiste Felix and Charles, who were both makers.
Willibald Leo Lütgendorff+
Er erlernte das Geigenmachen in Mirecourt, kam jung nach Paris und hatte
sein Geschäft bis 1788 in einem Hause des Klosters von St. Martin und bezog
dann das Haus Rue St. Martin No. 175, wo seine Nachkommen bis auf unsere
Tage das Geigenmachen betrieben. Er gehörte zu den besseren Geigenmachern seiner Zeit; man muss seine Arbeit aber genau studirt haben, wenn man sie erkennen
will, da er keine Zettel in seine Geigen hineingeklebt hat. Kommen Zettel mit seinem Namen vor, so rühren sie von seinen beiden Söhnen her.
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