ticketsMember | Make a donation

Violin

1669
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 684
The violins of Nicolò Amati (1596–1684), the preeminent violin maker of the Amati family of instrument builders, were known for their elegant design, responsiveness, and sweet sound, although they lacked the strength of violins by later makers such as Antonio Stradivari and Guarneri "del Gesù." Nicolò Amati single-handedly carried on the Cremonese tradition of fine violin making after famine and disease in the years around 1630 had wiped out virtually all of the top violin makers in both Cremona and nearby Brescia; not surprisingly, violins from this period are very rare. Amati's many students included Andrea Guarneri, Giovanni Battista Rogeri, and possibly Antonio Stradivari, among others.

This heavily-used instrument was modernized in the middle of the nineteenth century to meet the changing needs of players. Around that time, a painted decoration was added to the back and ribs. The painted and gilt dedication on the ribs reads: PREMIER PRIX [DÉ]CERNÉ á PAUL JULIEN CONSERVATOIRE NATIONAL DE M[USIQUE]. This inscription indicates that the violin was a prize awarded to the child prodigy Paul Julien (b. 1841) after he won first prize at the Paris Conservatory in 1850.

In 1977, the violin was refitted to the present setup with a shorter fingerboard and gut strings by the Dutch luthier Fred J. Lindeman. This setup more closely resembles the state of the violin before its nineteenth century restoration.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Violin
  • Maker: Nicolò Amati (Cremona 1596–1684 Cremona)
  • Date: 1669
  • Geography: Cremona, Italy
  • Culture: Italian (Cremona)
  • Medium: Spruce, maple
  • Dimensions: 23 3/4 × 8 × 3 1/2 in. (60.3 × 20.3 × 8.9 cm)
  • Classification: Chordophone-Lute-bowed-unfretted
  • Credit Line: Gift of Evelyn Stark, 1974
  • Object Number: 1974.229a–d
  • Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
"Antonius" Violin, Antonio Stradivari Italian, Maple, spruce, ebony, Italian (Cremona)
"Antonius" Violin
Antonio Stradivari
1711
"Gould" Violin, Antonio Stradivari Italian, Maple, spruce, ebony, Italian (Cremona)
"Gould" Violin
Antonio Stradivari
1693
"Francesca" Violin, Antonio Stradivari Italian, Maple, spruce, ebony, mother of pearl, Italian (Cremona)
"Francesca" Violin
Antonio Stradivari
1694
The Batta-Piatigorsky Violoncello, Antonio Stradivari Italian, Spruce, maple, ebony
On loan to The Met
The Batta-Piatigorsky Violoncello
Antonio Stradivari
1714
Violin, Joachim Tielke German, Spruce, maple, German
Violin
Joachim Tielke
ca. 1685

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.