Auguste Sebastien Philippe Bernardel

BERNARDEL, Auguste Sebastien Philippe Born 1798 Mirecourt, died 1870 Bougival France. Known as ‘Bernardel Père’. Apprenticed in Mirecourt before joining Lupot in Paris c.1815. Remained there until 1824; briefly worked with Gand before opening his own shop in the capital in 1826 in the rue Coquillière. Later moved to rue Croix des Petits Champs, where Vuillaume was already established. Joined by his sons Ernest (in 1840) and Gustave (c.1849), the firm became known as Bernardel et Fils. Retired in 1866 to Bougival, a town popular with the Impressionist painters at that time. One of the most important and influential French makers, eclipsed only by his teacher, Lupot, and his almost exact contemporary, J. B. Vuillaume. Worthy inheritor of Lupot’s tradition and craftsmanship, and along with Vuillaume and Betts in England, a pioneer of ‘antiqued’ copies of individual classical instruments with artificially shaded varnish. His varnish is generally inferior to Vuillaume’s, and can be a slightly crude red colour, and his violins by comparison seem a little heavy in execution. Materials always of the very finest quality. Stradivari, Guarneri and Brescian models. Cellos modelled on the Stradivari ‘Duport’ cello are particularly successful, and double basses highly sought-after. Bernardel, luthier / ex-ouvrier du Lupot / rue Coquillière, No. 44 à Paris / l’an 1826 Bernardel, Luthier Élève de Lupot / Aux Croix des Petits Champs No. 23 / à Paris 1835 Medaille d’or et d’argent / aux Expositions de 1844 et 1849 / Bernardel, Luthier Élève de Lupot / rue Croix des Petits Champs, 21. / à Paris. 1855

b. Jan. 12, 1802, at Mirecourt; d. August 6, 1870, at Bougival. One of the most distinguished French makers. He began as an apprentice in Mirecourt, went to Paris in 1820, worked first under Nicolas Lupot and then under C. F. Gand, whom he left in 1826 in order to start a business of his own in the rue Coquilliere.
In 1859 he took his two sons into partnership and the firm was called ‘ Bernardel et fils’ ; he retired in 1866 so as to facilitate the association of the Gands in his business, which was then styled ” Gand et Bernardel.” He made a large number of excellent instruments, the violoncellos especially having a remarkably fine tone.
This was in a violin made by him soon after he left Gand, perhaps the first to contain his signature; it is beautifully finished and has a fine tone.
Printed label: ” Medaille d’or et d’argent aux expositions de 1844 et 1849. Bernardel, luthier, eleve de Lupot, rue Croix-des-Petits Champs, 21, a Paris, 18— . . . (Signed) Bernardel.”
Honours : mention, 1827 ; bronze medal, Paris, 1834 and 1839; silver medal, Paris, 1844, for an alto placed in the 1st class; gold medal, Paris, 1849; a medal of the 2nd class, London, 1851; and a medal of the 1st class, London, 1855, for a violin copied from Maggini, a bass, and a double-bass.

Nachdem er in seiner Heimath ausgelernt hatte, kam er 1820 nach Paris
und trat bei N. Lupot und später bei Gand père als Gehilfe ein. Er gründete
1826 sein Geschäft in der Rue Coquillière No. 44 und arbeitete bis 1859 allein.
Dann nahm er seine beiden Söhne als Theilhaber der Firma auf und arbeitete aber noch bis 1866 fleissig weiter. Einer der geschicktesten französischen
Geigenmacher des 19. Jahrhunderts und gründlicher Kenner des Holzes, das er mit
grösster Sorgfalt auswählte. Auf der Londoner Ausstellung 1851 stellte man
seine Arbeit den Forster’schen gleich, wenn auch sein Cello einen näselnden
Ton gehabt haben soll, aber es unterliegt keinem Zweifel, dass er gerade, was
Tonschönheit anbelangt, alle englischen Meister übertraf. 1859 verband er sich,
wie schon bemerkt, mit seinen Söhnen Ernst August und Gustave Adolf zu der
Firma »Bernadel et fils« und zog sich 1866 vom Geschäft zurück.