Giorgio Bairhoff

History

Giorgio Bairhoff (1712-1763) was born in Füssen, Germany, in 1712 and died in Naples, Italy, in 1763. He was active in Naples from approximately 1740. According to Willibald Leo Lütgendorff's Die Geigen- und Lautenmacher vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart, he was probably one of the many Germans who worked as assistants for makers such as the Gagliano family and subsequently settled in Italy.

Craft

• Model: He utilized a broad, flat, and sometimes a medium-sized model.
• Instruments: His violins are considered good orchestral instruments.
• Style: John Dilworth, in The Brompton's Book of Violin & Bow Makers, describes his style as revealing rather boxy flat arching with a pronounced edge flute and large crudely cut soundholes.
• Materials & Varnish: He typically used dull golden brown varnish and plain materials.
• Label: An example of his label reads: "Giorgio Bairhoff fecit / Napoli 1758".

Influence

• Mentorship: Cecie Stainer's A Dictionary of Violin Makers suggests he was probably a pupil of G. or N. Gagliano. John Dilworth notes that while it is not clear whether he worked directly for any of the Gagliano family, their influence on his work is evident, particularly in the form of the scroll and the purfling materials.
• Tradition: He incorporated some Füssen elements into his style.

Further Information

• Workshop Location: He was active in Naples, Italy.
• Nomenclature: Willibald Leo Lütgendorff notes that some read his name as Barthoff. John Dilworth states that the name Bairhoff is frequently found in anonymous German work.