Luigi Fabris

History

Luigi Fabris (1809-1889) was born in 1809 and died in 1889 in Venice, Italy. He was a member of a well-known musical family in Venice, as documented by John Dilworth in The Brompton's Book of Violin & Bow Makers. Fabris resided from 1831 to 1841 at 879 Calle San Giovanni and spent the rest of his life at 1019 Campiello delle Stroppe. By approximately 1850, economic pressures necessitated his employment with Giuseppe Camploy, a general retailer of musical instruments and an avid collector. In 1856, he began marketing an instrument varnish, likely of his own formulation, designed to penetrate wood fibers and enhance acoustic properties. By 1870, Fabris had returned to full-time violin making, and many of his finest instruments originate from this period. He was awarded a silver medal at the Treviso Exposition in 1872.

Craft

• Models: Fabris crafted instruments based on Stradivari or Guarneri models.
• Workmanship: His workmanship is described as rugged rather than refined.
• Purfling: Instruments feature extremely broad purfling.
• Varnish: He used a very fine, well-textured red-brown varnish. Willibald Leo Lütgendorff noted that his red varnish was not bad, and John Dilworth mentioned his marketing of a varnish designed to penetrate wood fibers and enhance acoustic properties.
• Wood Selection: Fabris often utilized bird's eye maple, which is not commonly found in Italian work, and fairly coarse pine for the tables.
• Instrument Types: His cellos are considered very desirable, and viole d'amore are also extant.
• Repair Work: According to Willibald Leo Lütgendorff, Fabris demonstrated great care when repairing old violins.

Influence

• Training: Luigi Fabris was probably trained by Novello or Indri, who were the last remaining luthiers practicing in Venice at that time, as suggested by John Dilworth.

Legacy

• Awards: Fabris was awarded a silver medal at the Treviso Exposition in 1872.
• Desirability: His cellos are considered very desirable.

Further Information

• Residences: From 1831 to 1841, he resided at 879 Calle San Giovanni, and for the remainder of his life, he lived at 1019 Campiello delle Stroppe.
• Labels: Examples of his labels include "Luigi Fabris / fecit in Venezia Anno 1835 / abita a San Giacomo dall’Orio," "Luigi Fabris fecit / Venezia l’anno 1861," and "Luigi Fabris fecit / Venezia Anno 1873 / Premiato con medaglia d'argento al’ Esposizione di Treviso, 1872."

Summary

Luigi Fabris (1809-1889) was a Venetian violin maker from a prominent musical family. He initially worked from various addresses in Venice, including 879 Calle San Giovanni and 1019 Campiello delle Stroppe. Though economic pressures led him to work for a retailer for a period, he returned to full-time making by 1870, producing many of his best instruments during this later phase. Fabris was known for his rugged workmanship, broad purfling, and a distinctive red-brown varnish, which he also marketed. He often used bird's eye maple and coarse pine. His cellos are particularly sought after, and he received a silver medal at the Treviso Exposition in 1872.