Giovanni Paolo Maggini

History

Giovanni Paolo Maggini (1580-1632) was born in 1580 in Botticino, near Brescia, Italy, and died in 1632 in Brescia, possibly due to the plague (Stainer). He was the son of Zovan/Giovanni Maggini and Giulia, and grandson of Ser Bertolino/Bartolommeo de Maggini of Botticino (Stainer, Lütgendorff). His parents were presumably country people who had moved to the city of Brescia (Lütgendorff).

Giovanni Paolo Maggini became an apprentice to Gasparo da Salò around 1595, a period documented by a legal paper from 1602 which he and Gasparo signed, with Maggini referred to as "garzone" [apprentice] (Stainer, Lütgendorff). He remained with Gasparo until about his 21st year (Lütgendorff).

By around 1610, Maggini established his independent workshop in the Contrada del Palazzo Vecchio del Podestà (Brompton’s, Lütgendorff). On January 20, 1615, at the age of 34, he married 19-year-old Maddalena Anna, daughter of Fausto Foresto (Stainer, Lütgendorff). He relocated to the Contrada delle Bombasarie in San Agata between 1621 and 1622, where his family resided until his death. By 1626, he had also acquired a second house in the Contrada delle Bombasarie and several fields (Stainer, Lütgendorff).

Maggini had seven children, but four of them died early (Lütgendorff). His widow survived him until November 24, 1651 (Lütgendorff). A memorial in his honor was erected in Brescia in 1907 (Brompton’s). His only surviving son, Carlo Francesco, became a silk merchant, and his son Pietro died in infancy. Consequently, there is no basis for claims that a son named Pietro or Pietro Santo was also a violin maker, as no instruments by any other Maggini than Giovanni Paolo are known (Stainer).

Dendrochronological studies have shown that some instruments previously verified as his creations fall outside his known lifespan, indicating that his workshop was continued by unidentified successors after his death.

Craft

• Innovation: Giovanni Paolo Maggini is recognized as an extremely important figure in the early history of the violin. After evolving beyond Gasparo da Salò's direct influence, violin making experienced significant progress thanks to him (Lütgendorff). His large, often oversized violins, despite their swift, skillful modeling, served as an inspiration for Stradivari’s ‘long pattern’ instruments (c.1690-1700) and influenced Guarneri del Gesù (Brompton’s). Stradivari learned extensively from Maggini in the construction of both violins and violoncellos, and Giuseppe Guarneri was also strongly impacted by his work (Stainer).
• Materials: Maggini's varnish is consistently of remarkably fine quality. It typically presented as a clear brown, akin to Gasparo's work, but progressively evolved into a more brilliant, transparent golden hue (Stainer). George Hart notes his varnish could be brown or yellow and of good quality, with brown-varnished instruments often lacking back ornamentation and seldom featuring double purfling (Hart). In his early work, he frequently used maple wood, often cut on the slab, including for bellies, forming an interesting link between viol and violin construction. Later, he adopted the method of using quarter-sawn wood. During his second period, he utilized very fine quality wood, rarely cut on the slab, and never for the bellies (Stainer).
• Methods:
  • In his early independent years, Maggini largely adhered to his teacher's models, often demonstrating imprecision and less discerning wood selection (Lütgendorff). This period featured heavy models, short blunted corners, and carelessly inlaid purfling, with scrolls that were initially crude (Stainer). The sound-holes still showed the "Schlangenlinie" [serpentine line] typical of old viols (Lütgendorff). He occasionally adorned his violins like viols, using inlaid purfling or a "clover-leaf" device at the top and bottom of the back, or an elaborate design on the back's center; the latter two ornamentations are never found on the same instrument unless it is a forgery (Stainer).
  • His second period showed a decrease in Gasparo's influence, marked by improved construction. The arching was slightly higher than in his earlier or later work, typically associated with a pronounced raised border. Purfling was executed with more precision, and sound-holes, while maintaining their original character, displayed more graceful curves and were better cut. The head also became more symmetrical (Stainer), and scrolls developed towards a more Cremonese definition later in his career.
  • A potential third period, possibly influenced by Antonio and Girolamo Amati, exhibited greater accuracy and a more beautiful form. Purfling was distinct and finely done, sound-holes were well-cut and carefully finished, and the arching was less pronounced with lighter edges, contributing to a more graceful appearance. Scroll curves became symmetrical, and the fluting at the back of the head was less hollowed and beautifully executed. This phase also incorporated stronger corner-blocks and linings, with more accurately calculated thicknesses (Stainer).
  • Maggini frequently double-purfled his instruments, with nearly all his instruments featuring double purfling, although three violins and one viola are known to have only a single line (Stainer). Some instruments also bore additional purfling arabesques on the back. The sound-holes are long, with upper and lower circles of equal size, and were often undercut or beveled on their inside edges, akin to viols (Stainer). George Hart describes them as long and pointed, and admirably set (Hart).
  • His violins were large, sometimes oversized, with their considerable length and breadth complemented by relatively low sides to produce the full and mellow tone for which they are famous (Stainer). The large dimensions made the sides appear low, though their height at the neck-end was almost identical to Amati and some Stradivari violins, while approximately one-sixteenth of an inch lower at the tail-pin end (Stainer). Hart observes his outline as broad but lacking Gasparo's classic symmetry, and his form as flat, with shallow sides often aligning with the outline (Hart).
  • Maggini's violas feature a very high model, with the arching rising from the inner line of the double purfling. They have a high border, short corners, and sides set close to the edges of the back and belly, leaving minimal margin. The sound-holes are placed higher than in his violins, and are short, wide, very upright, and undercut on the inner edge (Stainer).
  • His violoncellos followed the same pattern as his violas, characterized by rather high sound-holes and low sides (Stainer).

Influence

• Training and Mentorship: Giovanni Paolo Maggini worked as an assistant to Gasparo da Salò from approximately 1595 and was his apprentice, signing a document in 1602 as "garzone" (Stainer, Lütgendorff). However, George Hart suggests that the claim of Maggini being Gasparo's pupil is not authoritatively supported beyond the similarity in the form of their respective instruments (Hart).
• Schools/Tradition: Maggini is considered an extremely important figure in the early history of the violin. His work belongs to the Brescian tradition, distinct from the Cremonese school of violin making.
• Notable Associations: The renowned Belgian violinist, De Beriot, consistently played on a magnificent Maggini violin, which notably increased the value of Maggini's instruments (Stainer, Hart). This specific violin, along with a Maggini viola and violoncello, is now part of the Collection of Prince de Caraman-Chimay (Stainer). The violinist Leonard also owned one of his instruments (Hart).

Legacy

• Museum Collections: The magnificent violin once played by the esteemed De Beriot is now housed in the Collection of Prince de Caraman-Chimay, which also includes a viola and violoncello made by Maggini (Stainer).
• Modern Recognition: Maggini's violas have consistently been highly sought after. The fashion for his large, dark-sounding violins reached its peak in the late 19th century. Due to his distinctive style and the variety of his work, Maggini's instruments have frequently been imitated and forged. Many instruments made in good faith during the 17th and 18th centuries by makers continuing the Brescian tradition have been fraudulently relabelled by unscrupulous dealers.

Further Information

• Technical Characteristics: Maggini's labels were never dated, which has resulted in the chronology of his work being largely speculative (Stainer). This consistent lack of dates on labels is often a key detail used in identifying forgeries (Stainer).
• Historical Uncertainties:
  • Dendrochronological studies have introduced further uncertainty, showing that some instruments attributed to Maggini were made after his death, suggesting his workshop continued under unidentified successors.
  • His apprenticeship to Gasparo da Salò, though widely accepted and documented by a legal paper, has been questioned by some, like George Hart, who note the lack of authoritative proof beyond stylistic similarities (Hart).
  • Claims that his son Pietro or Pietro Santo was also a violin maker are historically unfounded, as no instruments by any other Maggini apart from Giovanni Paolo have been authenticated (Stainer).

Summary

Giovanni Paolo Maggini (1580-1632) was a pivotal Brescian violin maker. Initially an apprentice to Gasparo da Salò, he later transcended his master's influence to make significant advancements in violin construction. His work, characterized by large, often double-purfled instruments with distinctive sound-holes, a range of high-quality varnishes, and unique ornamentation, profoundly influenced later masters such as Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesù. Despite a speculative chronology due to his undated labels and evidence of his workshop continuing after his death, Maggini's violas remain highly prized, and his large violins achieved significant popularity in the late 19th century. His legacy is marked by innovation, a distinct Brescian style, and the admiration of notable musicians like De Beriot, whose Maggini instruments are now held in significant collections.