Jean Baptiste Vuillaume, French Violin Maker

Jean Baptiste Vuillaume was undoubtedly the mostof Francois Tourte, 'the Stradivari of the bow', who
successful violin maker of the 19th century. In fact, inwas still active when Vuillaume began his business.
pure business terms, he probably was the greatestVuillaume employed many of the great names in
luthier in history, Stradivari not excepted. Very rarelyFrench bow-making, beginning with Persois in 1823, to
does such consummate craftsmanship reside in theDominique Peccatte, and Pierre Simon, who was
same character as single-minded ambition, intelligenceVuillaume's chief archetier until 1846.
and entrepreneurial skill. From a traditional andThroughout this period Vuillaume worked on
unexceptional violin-making background in Mirecourt, heimaginative ways of improving production, and has a
built a virtual empire in Paris in the second half of theparticular reputation as an innovator, although few of
century, and his influence can still be readily seen andhis ideas have stood the test of time. The self-rehairing
felt in all aspects of the craft and trade in bowedbow, and the steel bow are amongst these ingenious
stringed instruments.and well-intentioned, but ill-fated ideas. He investigated
He was born in Mirecourt in 1798, a small town in thethe history of the violin with the help of his friend, the
Vosges which had long been focused on instrumentmusicologist Francois Fetis, but was rather
making. His father, Claude-Francois, was quiteover-enthusiastic in his patriotic attempts to find a role
undistinguished as a violin maker, but the family hadfor French makers in the invention of the instrument.
been active in the craft since the early 17th century.Vuillaume's crowning achievement was the purchase
Jean-Baptiste showed his ambition early on, and havingof the Tarisio collection in 1855. Luigi Tarisio, an
served an apprenticeship with his father, struck out foreccentric Italian collector who had become known to
the capital in 1818, where he found work with FrancoisParisian dealers in the earlier part of the century, died in
Chanot. Chanot was an experimenter- one of the firstthat year, and Vuillaume lost no time and spared no
makers to attempt to apply scientifically informedeffort in securing a deal with his family in order to buy
acoustic principles to his work, he surely stimulatedthe remaining instruments. The horde was spectacular,
Vuillaume's enquiring and imaginative mind during thepossibly unrivaled in history, and included over one
first three years of the young luthier's career in Paris. Inhundred of the finest Cremonese, as well as
1821, Vuillaume moved on to the workshop of Nicolastwenty-four outstanding Stradivaris. Among the latter
Antoine Lete, a fellow native of Mirecourt, where hewas the 'Messie' of 1716, acknowledged as the
stayed, ostensibly as a partner, until 1825.greatest and most original surviving instrument from
Meanwhile, Vuillaume had been making his ownthe Stradivari workshop. It is now housed in the
instruments and refining his Mirecourt style to matchAshmolean Museum in Oxford.
the innovations of the great Nicolas Lupot. Lupot wasVuillaume's reputation was now unassailable, and in
at that time the finest maker of the Paris school,1858 he moved for the last time to the rue Demours
responsible for re-establishing the classical principles ofLes Ternes, a little to the west of the old shop.
Stradivari, underpinned by rigorous craftsmanship andVuillaume continued working virtually until his death in
an academic approach to detail and accuracy. All1875. He had no male children to continue the
these ideas provided the environment within whichworkshop, although his brother Nicolas-Francois
Vuillaume was to flourish and triumph. Lupot died in(1802-1876) and nephew Sebastien (1835-1875) were
1824, leaving no heirs to his business other than hisboth makers.
apprentice Charles Francois Gand.J.B.Vuillaume left a massive legacy of fine instruments.
From 1823 onward, Vuillaume began labeling his ownThey fall into several categories: the early, fully
work, which consisted of evenly varnished dark redvarnished examples of the period 1823- 1827, generic
instruments in the style of Lupot. He was also alreadyimitations of Stradivari and Guarneri, close copies of
closely involved with bow-making, and from 1823specific master violins, other instruments made in
employed Persois to provide bows for his instruments.various styles of Brescia and the Amati, several
Always prolific, like others with a Mirecourt training, byexperimental designs and other fantastical historical
1828 he had made around a hundred violins, and wasreplicas. Another considerable body of work is
ready to move on from Lete's shop. He established hisrepresented by the 'St Cecile' instruments- these were
own business at 46 Rue des Petits-Champs, right inmanufactured in Mirecourt to Stradivari and
the heart of the city in what is the 2nd arrondissement,occasionally Guarneri models, and sent to Paris for
behind the Tuileries gardens.varnishing, which was finished in complete, 'unworn'
A significant breakthrough came around 1827, when hered-brown, complete with a transfer depicting St Cecile
began to make instruments with an antiqued finish inon the upper back. These were intended to be sold at
imitation of the great Cremonese instruments whichcheaper prices, and were made between 1843 and
were rapidly rising in value and appreciation. The same1856.
idea had occurred to the Fendt family working inThe most obvious characteristic of much of his work
London around this time, where the market foris the wear-pattern imposed into the varnish of the
authentic Cremonese instruments was developing withback, which is often in the shape of an inverted 'V',
equal speed.with the edges broken into small islands of the thicker,
Vuillaume quickly mastered techniques for giving hiscoloured varnish contrasting with the pale grey/gold
instruments an aged appearance, with darkened woodground of the wood. The varnish is of fine quality and
and worn varnish, setting the standard in this for manycolour, if a little harder that the old Cremonese recipes
other Parisian makers. Business flourished, and hehe set out to emulate. His imitations of Brescian and
expanded his workshop by taking on assistants,Guarneri instruments are slightly less successful than
mostly highly skilled craftsmen from Mirecourt, includingthe Stradivari copies, his strongly disciplined and
Hippolyte Silvestre and Honore Derazey, both totechnical approach never quite conveying the freedom
become important makers in their own right.of the originals. Early works carry his handwritten label.
In examining original instruments in order to reproduceSubsequently he had printed labels made for his two
them, Vuillaume's eye as a connoisseur developedaddresses, and also branded, signed and numbered
also, and business as an expert dealer in antiquethe interior. Some early replicas carry imitation labels of
instruments brought in more custom to his Paris shop.Stradivari and lack the maker's signature and brand.
By 1850, his business was on a truly international level.The quality of his work is almost impossible to replicate,
and Charles Adolphe Maucotel had risen to becomeand has well-stood the test of time. Although the vast
his workshop foreman.majority of his instruments are imitations of classical
Vuillaume was responsible for the manufacture ofCremonese pieces, the originality of his mind and his
many of the best bows to come out of Paris at thiscreative genius is evident in every aspect of his
time. He paid great attention to the bow and itscareer.
development, benefiting enormously from the presence