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Guitar

1953
Not on view
Ignacio Fleta was one of the most important Spanish classical guitar builders of the twentieth century and his instruments were used by many of the mid-century virtuoso guitarists including Andrés Segovia and John Williams. Fleta left his home of Huesca, Spain at the age of 13 to move to Barcelona with his two older brothers to study instrument building from makers such as Benito Jaume, Etienne Maire and Philippe Le Duc. This instrument was made during his early period when he built a variety of instruments including violins and cellos in addition to guitars. This instrument bears serial number 50 and has a string length of 650 mm. The instrument has a spruce top with a golden varnish and rosewood back and sides. The fingerboard is of ebony with 19 nickel-silver frets. The guitar has seven fan braces under the top which is typical of his early career. The instrument has decorative inlay around the soundhole consisting of multiple inlaid concentric circles of inlaid dyed green, brown, red, and natural wood to form floral designs and the outermost circle is made with a herringbone pattern. This herringbone pattern is repeated as the binding at the edge of the top, on the sides, and is also found around the edges of the back and in two lines up the center.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Guitar
  • Maker: Ignacio Fleta (Spanish, Huesca, Spain 1897–1977 Barcelona)
  • Date: 1953
  • Geography: Barcelona, Spain
  • Culture: Spanish
  • Medium: Spruce, rosewood
  • Dimensions: Height: 38 7/16 in. (97.7 cm)
    Width (Lower bouts): 14 9/16 in. (37 cm)
    Depth (At tail): 3 7/8 in. (9.8 cm)
  • Classification: Chordophone-Lute-plucked-fretted
  • Credit Line: Gift of The Jonathan & Faye Kellerman Foundation, 2010
  • Object Number: 2010.420
  • Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments

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