Jean Baptiste Vuillaume's violin, "Comte Doria"

 

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From a family of violin makers working since the XVIII century, Jean-Baptiste VUILLAUME (1798-1875) was born in Mirecourt in the Vosges. He left his hometown in 1818 and had in few years a dazzling social and professional rise. Awarded at many competitions, he counted among his clients famous musicians and collectors. Passionate about violin making from Cremona and his great masters, Vuillaume had a keen sens of observation and imitation. Fascinated by the instruments from Stradivari, Guarneri and Maggini, he traveled the roads of Europe to get these prestigious instruments, from which he will then seek to realised the most beautiful copies. Vuillaume became an outstanding copyist, searching all along his career to find the secrets of these great masters. During 50 years, in his workshop, he realised many instruments among which exceptional copies.

 

Order by the Comte DORIA, rich collector, whose arms are reproduced on the instrument's back, this violin was made circa 1848. This is a very beautiful example of these exceptional instruments from Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, inspirated from Stradivari. It was a part of the quatuor presented at the universal exhibition of Paris in 1867.