A violin by
G.B. Guadagnini

Mystery surrounds the early life of G. B. Guadagnini, and even though we can’t be sure where and from whom he learned his craft, already by the mid 1740s he was a maker of the highest order. This violin has been owned by a few very discerning players and collectors and its history can be traced to France in the late 19th century. In 1875 it was purchased for 1,000 francs from the Paris firm of Chanot & Chardon by a M. de Cuvillion, whose name is now associated with the violin. More recently, it was featured in the 2011 Guadagnini Exhibition in Parma, Italy and is illustrated in the commemorative book.