Giuseppe Guarneri

GUARNERI, Giuseppe Born 1666, died 1740 Cremona Italy. Youngest son of Andrea Guarneri, above. Known as ‘Filius Andreae’. Assisted his father and succeeded to the workshop at the sign of St Theresa in Piazza Domenico. Continued working in the Amatisé style of Andrea, but latterly was influenced by his close neighbour Antonio Stradivari. His work has a slight coarseness to it, but the well-proportioned outline and beautifully reflective varnish maintain the distinctive Cremonese qualities. He made the purfling mitres in a more conventional form and the arching has a consistent hollowing outside the upper part of the soundholes. Stradivari’s ascendency during his own working life presented difficulties for Guarneri, as did the establishment of another workshop in the city by Francesco Rugeri. His elder son Pietro departed for Venice in 1717 and his younger son Bartolomeo Giuseppe, later identified as ‘del Gesù’, left the family home in 1722. In 1730 Giuseppe became seriously ill and almost incapacitated. His last known label is found in a cello now attributed wholly to del Gesù dated 1731. Nevertheless, he continued to provide scrolls for his son’s instruments almost until his death nine years later. Joseph Guarnerius filius Andreae fecit / Cremone sub titulo S. Teresiae 1704

son of Andrea, 1680—1730. This maker possessed a greater amount of originality than Andrea. His earliest works evidence that power of thinking for himself which, later, led him to construct instruments entirely distinct from those produced by his father. The outline is particularly striking. The waist of the instrument is narrowed, rapidly widening, however, from the centre. The result is a curve of much elegance, one of the points which Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu appears to have admired, as he adopted and perfected it. It is here, more particularly, that a resemblance between this maker and his famous kinsman is to be traced. There are also other features which will furnish matter for comment in their proper place. To return to the form given to the instruments of Guarneri, the son of Andrea : the sound-hole has a singular combination of the Amati and the Guarneri in its conception. We have here a reappearance of the pointed form which originated with the grand old Brescian master, Gasparo da Salo, and which was left by him to be revived and perfected by his followers. Andrea’s son, in adopting this long neglected form, showed much judgment. It must be admitted that he improved upon it, and left his cousin an easy task in completing and perfecting it. The method of this maker with regard to the setting of the sound-holes in his instruments is peculiar. In his plan they are set in a lower position than is customary. Carlo Bergonzi followed him in this particular, and also in placing the hole a trifle nearer the edge of the instrument than is seen in most instruments. How interesting is it to observe the salient points wherein each maker seems to have adopted some isolated feature from a predecessor! The varnish is of the richest description, and in numerous instances has been so plentifully used as to cause it to clot in some places; nevertheless, its rare qualities are never deadened. The instruments of this truly great maker are being rapidly bought up in all parts of Europe, and their value is, in consequence, much enhanced. He made Violins, Violas, and Violoncellos, the latter being very scarce. The wood used in his Violins and Violas varies, but may be pronounced as generally handsome ; that of his Violoncellos is, on the contrary, chiefly plain, and the workmanship somewhat careless, but the tone is always fine in quality. It would seem that he had no particular liking to work the larger instruments, and he devoted his time to the smaller specimens, which are, however, patterns of careful handiwork.

Second son of Andrea, b. Nov. 25, 1666, Cremona ; d. soon after 1738. Said to have been a pupil of his father, but showed much originality ; some of his instruments are very similar to those of his cousin, Giuseppe del Jesu, but the tone is not so powerful and round ; others follow the pattern of Stradivari.
His violins are numerous and show good work. They are generally made on a small pattern, the waist of the instrument narrow and rapidly widening from the centre ; the sound-holes, placed lower than usual, are widely opened about the middle; the brilliant reddish varnish is of excellent quality, the wood well chosen, the tone very full and rich, the work carefully finished; two beautiful instruments were exhibited at South Kensington Museum, 1872, dated respectively 1684 and 1707.
Many of his best violins have been given labels of Giuseppe del Jesu, since the latter’s name became well known, and some good imitations of Stradivari have been labelled with Stradivari’s name. He also made tenors and violoncellos ; the latter are very rare, the wood generally plain, workmanship rather careless, but the tone always excellent. A very fine violoncello, with back, sides, and neck of beautiful small-figured wood, belly of fine-grained wood, with rich red varnish, and of good tone, was dated 1713.
Label: “Joseph Guarnerius, filius Andreae fecit Cremonse, sub titulo S. Teresiae, 16 — “; a similar one dated 1706.
On Jan. 4, 1690, he married Barbara Franchi (d. 1738), and had six children. Of his three sons, Pietro was the only one who became a maker.

Jüngster Sohn von Andrea, dessen Schüler und Nachfolger er war, den er
aber weit übertroffen hat. 1690 vermählte er sich mit Barbara Franchi († 1738), aus
welcher Ehe sechs Kinder hervorgingen, drei Töchter und drei Söhne, von denen
nur einer, Pietro, Geigenbauer wurde. Seine Geigen zeigen sehr verschiedene
Modelle. Am besten charakterisirt man sie damit, dass man sagt, sie stellen
den Übergang von Amati und Andrea G. zu G. del Gesù dar. Seine Arbeit
ist äusserst sorgfältig, das Modell klein und die Brust ziemlich schmal. Der
Lack ist goldgelb oder hellbraun. Er ist nachst G. del Gesù der beste Meister
aus seiner Familie.