Jean Baptiste Vuillaume was one of the most important instrument dealers in Paris in the mid 1800s. He was also a violin maker and inventor, and many important bow makers, including Dominique Peccatte, were working in his atelier.
In 1855, in his most prosperous days, Vuillaume purchased 144 old Italian violins, including 25 Stradivarii, from Luigi Tarisio, an Italian instrument dealer. He gained accurate and useful data from many celebrated instruments, including Stradivarii and Guarneri del Gesù, to make excellent copies of them and left them to the following generation. When copying them, Vuillaume put the most importance on the essence of instruments, that is, selection of wood and perfect copies of arch forms. He is also said to have made precise adjustments to heights of ribs and lengths of bodies to meet players’ needs for volume.
This artwork is the very one made in those days, with deep and rich sound, powerfulness and high performance abilities. We will welcome your visiting us to see it.