Amati > Makers Archive > Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri

Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri

Auction price history

Highest auction price

£572,000

Type Details Sold Price
Violin 35.5 cm Cremona, 1720 c. With provenance October 2007 £460,669
Violin 1735 (composite) November 2000 £311,500
Violin 1736 November 1997 £551,500
Violin 1738 June 1989 £253,000
Violin 1743 November 1988 £572,000
Violin 1720 c. November 1988 £242,000
Violin 1741 c. March 1986 £214,500
Maker Overview

History

Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri (1698-1744) was a pivotal Cremonese violin maker, often referred to as 'del Gesù'. Sources contain conflicting information regarding his birth and death dates; John Dilworth states he was born in 1698 and died in 1744, while George Hart identifies his birth as June 8, 1683, and Cecie Stainer as October 17, 1686, both citing his death in 1745. Similarly, his parentage is described differently: Dilworth refers to him as the younger son of Giuseppe, while Hart and Stainer name his father as Giovanni Battista Guarneri (or Gian Battista) and his mother as Angela Maria Locatelli (or Locadella).

His apprenticeship was traditional, working with his father, and his hand is detectable in his father's work after 1720. However, trade in Cremonese workshops was in decline, or at least dominated by Antonio Stradivari, during this period. His elder brother, Pietro, left for Venice around 1717, and Giuseppe himself left the family home in 1722. His whereabouts for the next few years are unclear, but a rare label from this time, where he describes himself as 'Andreae Nepos' ('grandson of Andrea') without reference to his father or the sign of St. Theresa, suggests an attempt to establish himself independently in Cremona. In 1728, he became involved in renovating an inn, the 'Osteria dei Mori', selling the lease the following year.

In 1730, his father fell ill, prompting Giuseppe's gradual return to full-time violin making. The following year, he completed a cello that was labeled by his senior father, marking the last instrument to bear the St. Theresa identification. Also in 1731, Giuseppe moved to a new home in San Prospero, and from this point, his work featured the symbol 'I.H.S.' (sacred monogram: 'Jesus Christ' or 'Iesus Hominum Salvator'), a popular dedication that earned him his familiar title 'del Gesù'. This symbol was likely posted above his workshop, similar to his father's St. Theresa sign, further distinguishing the younger Giuseppe from his father, who lived for another nine years. Del Gesù was unique in his family, apart from Andrea himself, in not acknowledging his father on his labels.

For some time, del Gesù's work was not widely appreciated; Cozio disparagingly wrote of his poor imitations of Stradivari, and there was no evidence of other makers being influenced by his ideas. However, his reputation dramatically changed when Niccolò Paganini discovered a pristine example in 1802. Paganini immediately recognized its qualities, naming it his 'Cannone', and it remained his primary concert instrument throughout his performing life, now preserved in the Genoa Civic Museum. This event transformed perceptions of del Gesù across Europe, leading to a rapid increase in the popularity and price of his work. By the mid-19th century, makers throughout Europe were producing imitations and incorporating many of the innovations Guarneri introduced to the Stradivari model. For the entire 20th century, the models of Guarneri and Stradivari effectively represented the only two alternatives for luthiers to follow.

A persistent tradition, particularly in Italy, suggested that Guarneri made some violins while imprisoned, with materials supplied by a gaoler's daughter. This story, mentioned by M. Fétis and Benedetto Bergonzi, and alluded to by Vincenzo Lancetti, likely arose to explain the existence of numerous inferior violins bearing his labels, many of which are spurious. While the tradition may have some factual basis regarding an unfortunate incident, possibly an encounter where an antagonist lost his life, the claims of his death in prison and his reported love of wine and idleness are likely embellishments added by successive narrators.


Craft

  • Innovation: Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri's radical reimagining of the craft is considered by John Dilworth as perhaps the final artistic contribution to the development of the violin. He went his own way, independent of his predecessors, and is regarded as a brilliant artist whose works are equal to, and sometimes preferred over, those of Stradivari.
  • Models (1731-1735): During this period, Guarneri worked on a fine model, utilizing the ancient 'Grand Amati' outline as a foundation, combined with well-worked, low Stradivarian arching. These instruments were compact in size, thickly wooded, and well-made in the Guarneri tradition, possessing strong character despite lacking the polished finesse of Stradivari or Amati.
  • Scrolls (1731-1735): Del Gesù made few scrolls himself during this time; those he did make were surprisingly delicate with a fine chamfer, unlike other Guarneri family work. Most instruments from this period bear scrolls that are evidently the work of the elder Giuseppe, possibly his only contribution to the business due to his frail health.
  • Transformation (1735-1739): Guarneri underwent an astonishing transformation, becoming less concerned with formal balance and precision. He experimented widely with different archings and, most notably, with various soundhole forms. These soundholes, resembling the extended 'f's of earlier Brescian work, became a hallmark of his mature period.
  • Late Period (1740-1744): In a concentrated burst of activity during the last four years of his life, del Gesù produced his most inventive and challenging work. During this time, almost every aspect of the violin maker's aesthetic and technique was stretched to its limit.
  • Work Periods: M. Fétis, guided by M. Vuillaume, divided Guarneri's career into three periods, an arrangement widely adopted by historians like George Hart and Cecie Stainer.
  • First Period Characteristics: Instruments from this period show varied patterns and changeable sound-holes, sometimes displaying a mixture of grace and boldness, or appearing singularly deformed with roughly executed purfling, as if hastily finished (Hart). Cecie Stainer notes a lack of originality, with imitations of Nicola Amati or G. P. Maggini, reviving the latter's pattern with arched purfling, semicircular middle bouts, pointed sound-holes, and short corners, producing a good tone.
  • Second Period Characteristics: This period yielded some of the finest specimens of violin making, characterized by exquisite finish, an artistic and original form, and handsome materials. The lustre of the wood, particularly on backs, with its deep amber varnish, is highly praised (Hart). Cecie Stainer describes a small pattern, slightly arched with a gradual rise from the purfling, varying thicknesses (increasing at the center, which could hinder free vibration), accurate proportions, well-cut (often sharply pointed) sound-holes, brilliant tone, and a rich golden or brownish-red elastic and transparent varnish comparable to Stradivari's. The workmanship was most carefully finished.
  • Third Period Characteristics (from ~1735/1740): Violins from this era, including Paganini's and Alard's, are of a bolder conception, massively constructed, and possess materials with the finest acoustic properties. The sound-hole loses its pointed form, the purfling is embedded, edges are heavy, corners are somewhat grotesque, and the scroll exhibits a mixture of vigor, comicality, and majesty (Hart). Cecie Stainer adds that they are made on a large pattern with excellent wood, accurate proportions and thicknesses, and beautiful elastic varnish (rich amber or rose-red, slightly darker and thicker than Stradivari's). The quaint, characteristic head is entirely different from Stradivari's, and the tone is powerful, mellow, and rich.
  • Wood Selection: When he could exercise his own judgment, his wood selection was exemplary, particularly the choice pine used for bellies. He seems to have obtained a large piece of pine with extraordinary acoustic properties, from which he made nearly all his bellies. These bellies often exhibit a singular, unmistakable stain running parallel to the fingerboard on either side. The sycamore used for backs varied in appearance and quality, often displaying a broad grain, with whole-backs impressively marked like a tiger's skin. In some jointed-backs, the wood markings run upwards.
  • Graduation: Guarneri varied the quantity of wood left in his instruments, but always followed a guiding principle based on the wood's quality, treating harder material as needing less solidity than softer wood.
  • Workmanship: While his workmanship in numerous instances is undoubtedly careless, even in instruments where negligence is most apparent, there is an appearance that excites admiration and forces acknowledgment of a style defying imitation. His quaint head carvings, achieved with a mere turn of the chisel, possess a singular character that is difficult to replicate without appearing ludicrous.
  • Sound-hole and Button: The sound-hole consistently preserves its distinctive character and a grotesque humor, though it varies considerably across his three periods. The button, the portion of the back against which the neck rests, shows a remarkably pronounced development in his violins, contributing vitality to the overall work.
  • Experimental Nature: His variety of work—different sized patterns, sometimes arched, sometimes flat; sound-holes that were long, perpendicular, or short and slanting—represented a continuous effort to enhance the tone of his instruments. He ultimately succeeded in achieving a notably pure and powerful volume of tone.
  • Instrument Output: He made more violins than violas. Approximately fifty genuine violins and ten violas are known, but no violoncello is known to exist.

Influence

  • Apprenticeship: Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri's apprenticeship was traditional, working with his father, and his hand can be detected in his father's work after 1720.
  • Independence: A very rare label from his early independent period, in which he describes himself as 'Andreae Nepos' ('grandson of Andrea'), without reference to his father, indicates his attempt to establish himself independently in Cremona.
  • Stradivari as Teacher (Debunked): The assertion that he was a pupil of Antonio Stradivari has been widely made but lacks proof. Willibald Leo Lütgendorff states it is 'unwahrscheinlich' (unlikely), and George Hart finds 'not a shadow of proof', noting nothing in common between the two makers except perhaps varnish and high finish in Guarneri's second epoch. Cecie Stainer also states that the character of his work 'does not authorise such a statement'.
  • Alternative Instructor (Proposed): George Hart suggests that analogy points to Giuseppe Guarneri, son of Andrea (his cousin), as a more likely instructor, given the strong similarity in their work and style. This cousin was many years his senior, making his workshop a more reasonable place for del Gesù's initial instruction.
  • Artistic Independence: Lütgendorff emphasizes that Guarneri 'ging seinen eigenen Weg und ist vollkommen unabhängig von seinen Vorgängern' (went his own way and is completely independent of his predecessors).
  • Model Inspiration: In forming his model, Guarneri seems to have followed the lead of Gasparo da Salò, retaining the pointed form of the sound-hole and showing much affinity in the outline of the body, particularly the middle bouts. He appears to have aimed to continue and complete the plan left unfinished by the great Brescian maker.

Legacy

  • Paganini's 'Cannone': In 1802, Niccolò Paganini discovered a very pure example of del Gesù's work, which he immediately recognized for its qualities. This violin, which he named his 'Cannone', remained his concert instrument throughout his performing life and is now preserved in the Genoa Civic Museum (Palazzo Municipale).
  • Increased Popularity and Price: Paganini's endorsement dramatically changed perceptions of del Gesù throughout Europe, leading to a rapid growth in the popularity and price of his work.
  • Influence on Later Makers: By the mid-19th century, makers across Europe were producing imitations of his instruments and absorbing many of the changes Guarneri made to the Stradivari model. For the entire 20th century, the models of Guarneri and Stradivari have effectively been the only two alternatives for luthiers to follow.
  • Notable Instruments: Besides Paganini's 'Cannone' (dated 1743), other famous instruments include one dated 1714 that belonged to Ole Bull, another magnificent one from 1734 nicknamed 'Le violon du diable', and a beautiful violin from 1742 that belonged to the violinist Alard. A violin dated 1741, formerly owned by Vieuxtemps, is noted for its pristine condition and splendid brownish-red varnish. The 'King Joseph' violin was a large-pattern instrument made of splendid wood with amber-colored varnish.
  • Value Appreciation: His instruments have steadily increased in price, partly due to the strong wood he used, which, though initially depreciating the tone, allows it to vibrate more freely and develop a stronger, more refined quality over time. A violin was sold for 600 guineas in 1876, and another recently for £500.
  • Imitators: His imitators far exceeded in number all other violin makers from Cremona. These imitators are categorized into bona fide copyists (e.g., Lupot, Gand, Vuillaume), subtle copyists who exploit his varied styles and misfortunes, and wholesale copyists who mass-produce instruments in factories, artificially aging them.

Further Information

  • Labels: His labels include 'Joseph Guarnerius, Andreae Nepos / fecit Cremonae Anno 17..' and 'Joseph Guarnerius / fecit Cremone anno 1741 IHS'.
  • I.H.S. Symbol: The 'I.H.S.' symbol, a sacred monogram meaning 'Jesus Christ' or 'Iesus Hominum Salvator', was adopted on his labels from 1731 onwards and gave him his familiar title 'del Gesù'. It was likely posted above his workshop as an identifying sign.
  • Workshop Location: His home was located at No. 5, Piazza S. Domenico, now known as Piazza Roma.
  • Birth Registration: His birth was registered in the parish of San Donato, at the Chapel of Ease of the Cathedral in Cremona.
  • Geographic Focus: The phrase 'fecit Cremonae' on all his labels confirms that all his work was done in Cremona.

Summary

Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri (1698-1744), known as 'del Gesù' due to the 'I.H.S.' monogram on his labels, was a preeminent Cremonese violin maker whose radical approach to the craft profoundly influenced violin making. Despite conflicting historical accounts regarding his birth (1698, 1683, or 1686) and death (1744 or 1745), his artistic genius is undisputed. He apprenticed with his father but later sought independence, eventually returning to full-time making after his father's illness. His work is typically divided into three periods, showcasing a progression from traditional forms to highly experimental designs, characterized by varied archings, distinctive sound-holes, and a focus on powerful tone over meticulous finish. While initially unappreciated, his reputation soared after Niccolò Paganini adopted his 'Cannone' violin, leading to widespread imitation and establishing Guarneri's models as one of the two primary alternatives for luthiers alongside Stradivari's.

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Biographies

John Dilworth

GUARNERI, Bartolomeo Giuseppe Born 1698, died 1744 Cremona Italy. Younger son of Giuseppe, below. Known as ‘del Gesù’. The last truly great maker in the astonishing list of Cremonese masters that ranges from Andrea Amati to Antonio Stradivari. His radical reimagining of the craft was perhaps the final artistic contribution to the development of the violin. His apprenticeship was a traditional one with his father and his hand can be detected in the father’s work after 1720. But trade in the several Cremonese workshops in this period seems to have been in decline, or at least dominated by Antonio Stradivari. Giuseppe’s elder brother Pietro left for Venice c.1717 and Giuseppe himself quit the family home in 1722. It is not clear where he was working for the next few years, but a very rare label from this period in which he describes himself as ‘Andreae Nepos’ (‘grandson of Andrea’) without reference to the sign of St Theresa or his own father is seen to indicate that he was attempting to establish himself independently in Cremona. In 1728 he became involved in the renovation of an inn, the ‘Osteria dei Mori’, selling the lease in the following year. In 1730 his father fell ill and Giuseppe returned gradually to full-time violin making. The following year he completed a cello which was labelled by Giuseppe senior, the last instrument to bear the label with the St Theresa identification. Also in that year the young Giuseppe moved into a new home in San Prospero, and from this time onwards his work bears a label with the symbol ‘I.H.S.’ (sacred monogram: ‘Jesus Christ’ or, sometimes, ‘Iesus Hominum Salvator’), a popular dedication which gave Guarneri his familiar title ‘del Gesù’. The I.H.S. symbol was in all probability posted above his workshop as an identifying sign, just as his father had worked under the sign of St Theresa. This was a further step in distinguishing the young Giuseppe from the elder who lived on for a further nine years. Del Gesù was the only one of the family not to acknowledge his father on his label, Andrea himself excepted. From 1731 until about 1735 Guarneri worked on a fine model, using the ancient ‘Grand Amati’ outline as a basis, with well-worked low Stradivarian arching. Very compact in size and thickly wooded, they are well-made in the Guarneri tradition, lacking the final polished finesse of Stradivari or Amati, but with strong character. Del Gesù made few scrolls in this period. They are surprisingly delicate, with a fine chamfer unlike any other Guarneri family work. Most of the instruments bear scrolls which are obviously the work of the elder Giuseppe, perhaps the only contribution to the business that the frail older man could manage. From about 1735 to 1739 del Gesù went through an astonishing transformation. He became less interested in the formal balance and precision of his work and experimented widely with different archings and most obviously with different soundhole forms. Resembling the extended ‘f’s of earlier Brescian work, these became a hallmark of del Gesù’s mature period. Then, in a concentrated burst of activity in what was to be the last four years of his life, 1740-1744, del Gesù produced his most inventive and challenging work, with almost every aspect of the violin maker’s aesthetic and technique stretched to its limit. For some time del Gesù was not appreciated. Cozio wrote disparagingly of his poor imitations of Stradivari and there is no evidence of any other makers being influenced in any way by his ideas. But when Paganini chanced upon a very pure example in 1802 he immediately recognised its qualities, and the violin he named his ‘Cannone’ remained his concert instrument throughout his performing life (the violin is still preserved in the Genoa Civic Museum). This changed perceptions of del Gesù throughout Europe and his work rapidly grew in popularity and price. By the mid 19th century makers throughout Europe were making imitations and absorbing many of the changes Guarneri made to the Stradivari model. For the whole of the 20th century these have been effectively the only two alternatives for luthiers to follow. Joseph Guarnerius, Andreae Nepos / fecit Cremonae Anno 17.. Joseph Guarnerius / fecit Cremone anno 1741 IHS [Biddulph]

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