Tomaso Eberle

History

Tomaso Eberle (1727-1792) was born in Vils, Austria, and worked circa 1750-1792 in Naples, Italy. He was the brother of Johann Anton Eberle (II). The exact circumstances of his transition from the Tyrol to Naples remain unknown. In Naples, he absorbed the methods, materials, and style of the Gagliano school, working contemporaneously with Nicolo, Gennaro, and Ferdinando Gagliano. According to Willibald Leo Lütgendorff in Die Geigen- und Lautenmacher vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart, his name suggests German ancestry. Lütgendorff notes that the claim by Grillet that Eberle was a relative of Joh. Ur. Eberle is unproven, and Lütgendorff himself believes there might be a connection to Heinr. Ebert or Eberl in Venice.

Craft

• Workmanship: His work is described by John Dilworth in The Brompton's Book of Violin & Bow Makers as more consistent and disciplined than that of the Gagliani themselves.
• Scrolls: Most distinctive are his scrolls, which are well cut and finely finished but exhibit a slight squareness to the spiral, leaning back a little from the pegbox.
• Archings: The arching is typically a little boxy but of medium height and very well regulated.
• Soundholes: His soundholes are generally upright and narrow.
• Varnish: He utilized a golden-yellow Neapolitan type of varnish, which lacks the greenish tone that sometimes undermines lesser Gagliano work but also lacks the red fire of the best examples. Willibald Leo Lütgendorff also notes his use of red-brown and brown-yellow varnish and very beautiful wood, with all parts executed very cleanly.
• Labels: Like other Gagliano makers, he frequently inserted a religious dedication on a small label inside the upper rib, reading: "Gesù e Maria Tomaso Eberle fecit / Nap. 177.."

Influence

• School: Tomaso Eberle absorbed the methods, materials, and style of the Gagliano school in Naples.
• Mentorship: Willibald Leo Lütgendorff suggests that due to the strong similarity of his violins to those of the Gagliano family, he can reasonably be considered a pupil of the Gaglianos.

Legacy

• Rarity: His violins are relatively rare, a fact attributed by Willibald Leo Lütgendorff to many of them being traded under the more recognized name of Nicolaus Gagliano.

Summary

Tomaso Eberle (1727-1792) was an Austrian-born luthier who worked in Naples, Italy, from approximately 1750 to 1792. He was the brother of Johann Anton Eberle (II) and became deeply influenced by the Gagliano school, working alongside prominent members of the family. His instruments are noted for their consistent and disciplined workmanship, distinctive scrolls, well-regulated archings, and upright soundholes. Eberle employed a golden-yellow Neapolitan varnish and often included a religious dedication on his internal labels. His violins are considered rare, partly due to their frequent misattribution to Nicolaus Gagliano.