Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume
Vuillaume in 1860
Born	(1798-10-07)7 October 1798 Mirecourt, France
Died	19 March 1875(1875-03-19) (aged 76) Paris, France
Education	Claude François Vuillaume François Chanot
Known for	Luthier entrepreneur inventor musical-instrument connoisseur
Notable work	Il Cannone Copy (1834) Sun-Law (1855) Le Messie Copy
Style	J.B. Vuillaume style Stradivarius style Guarneri style Maggini style Da Salò style Amati style
Movement	French school Mirecourt school
Spouse(s)	Adèle Guesnet (m. 1826)
Awards	List of Awards Silver medal – French Industrial Exposition 1827 Silver medal – French Industrial Exposition 1834 Gold medal – French Industrial Exposition 1844 Gold medal – French Industrial Exposition 1849 Council medal – International London Exhibition 1851 Gold medal – Paris International Exhibition 1855

Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume (French pronunciation: [ʒɑ̃ batist vɥijom]; 7 October 1798 – 19 March 1875) was a famous French luthier. A luthier is someone who makes or repairs stringed instruments like violins. Vuillaume was also a clever businessman, an inventor, and won many awards. His workshop created more than 3,000 musical instruments during his lifetime.

Early Life and Beginnings

Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume was born in Mirecourt, France. This town was well-known for making musical instruments. Both his father and grandfather were luthiers, so he grew up around instrument making.

In 1818, when he was 20, Vuillaume moved to Paris. There, he started working for another luthier named François Chanot. A few years later, in 1821, he joined the workshop of Simon Lété. By 1825, he became Lété's business partner. He started putting his own labels on instruments in 1823.

Building a Famous Workshop

In 1827, Vuillaume began making amazing copies of old, famous instruments. Some of these copies were so good that it was hard to tell them apart from the originals! In the same year, he won a silver medal at a big exhibition in Paris. By 1828, he opened his own business.

His workshop quickly became the most important one in Paris. Within 20 years, it was famous all over Europe. A big reason for his success was a smart move he made in 1855. He bought 144 old instruments made by Italian masters for a lot of money. These included the famous Messiah Stradivarius and 24 other violins made by Stradivari.

In 1858, he moved his workshop to a new location outside Paris. This helped him avoid taxes on wood he imported. He was at the peak of his career, having won many gold medals at exhibitions in Paris and London. He also received the Legion of Honour, a very important French award.

An Inventor and Innovator

Vuillaume made over 3,000 instruments, and almost all of them were numbered. He was also a talented inventor. He worked with an expert in sound, Félix Savart, to explore new ideas.

He created many new instruments and special features. For example, he developed a large viola he called a "contralto." He also invented the three-string Octobass (1849–51). This was a giant triple bass that stood 3.48 meters (about 11.4 feet) tall!

Vuillaume also designed special bows for string instruments. He made a hollow steel bow and a "self-rehairing" bow. With the self-rehairing bow, musicians could easily replace the bow hair themselves. This was much faster than taking it to a professional. He also put tiny optical viewers called Stanhopes into some of his bow frogs.

Many great bow makers of the 19th century worked in his workshop. These included famous names like Dominique Peccatte and François Nicolas Voirin.

Master Copies of Famous Violins

Vuillaume was an amazing violin maker and restorer. He traveled all over Europe to find old, valuable instruments. When he found them, he would carefully measure them and then make incredibly accurate copies.

He was especially inspired by two famous Italian violin makers: Antonio Stradivari and his "Le Messie" (Messiah) violin. He also admired Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù and his "Il Cannone" violin, which belonged to the famous musician Niccolò Paganini. Vuillaume also copied instruments by other masters like Giovanni Paolo Maggini, Gasparo da Salò, and Nicola Amati.

Vuillaume made many copies of his favorite violin, "Le Messie." Here are some of them:

Vuillaume was so good at making copies that he once made a perfect replica of Paganini's "Il Cannone" violin. When Paganini saw them side-by-side, he couldn't tell which was the original! He could only tell the difference by listening to the subtle sound when he played them.

Paganini later gave the copy violin to his only student, Camillo Sivori. Sivori owned many great violins, but the Vuillaume copy was his favorite. This violin is now kept in the Musei Di Genova in Italy.

When making his copies, Vuillaume always made sure to keep the important features of the original instruments. This included their thickness, the type of wood, and the shape of the curves. Any small changes he made, like the color of the varnish, were his own artistic choices.

Sometimes, Vuillaume named his most beautiful violins after their owners. He also named some after birds, like "Golden Pheasant," and others after apostles, like "St. Joseph."

One rare violin made by Vuillaume around 1874 has beautiful inlaid ebony fleur-de-lys designs. This was one of the last instruments made in his workshop, just a year before he died. It was made for a famous violin dealer named David Laurie. Only six copies of this particular violin were ever made.

Vuillaume also had simpler practice violins made by his brother Nicolas. These were known as "St. Cécile violins." Another line of less expensive instruments, also made by Nicolas, was called "Stentor" violins.

Vuillaume's Special Varnish

One of Vuillaume's biggest contributions was his work on varnish. Varnish is a clear coating that protects the wood and affects the sound of the instrument. He used a special technique for the joints of the purfling (the decorative edge around the violin). He also had a unique way of branding his instruments.

His violins from his early period had wider edges and a darker, orange-red to red varnish. After 1860, his varnish became lighter. The serial number of his violins was usually written inside the instrument.

Many other famous Parisian violin makers of the 19th century worked in Vuillaume's workshop. This shows how important and influential his workshop was.

Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume died in 1875. At the time of his death, he was known as the most important luthier of his era. His nephew, Sébastien Vuillaume, took over his workshop.

Valuable Instruments

Vuillaume's instruments are highly valued today. Here are some examples of prices paid for his instruments at auctions:

• London, 2012 – A "Saint Paul" J. B. Vuillaume violin (a copy of the "Messiah" Stradivarius) sold for about US$231,160.
• London, 2013 – A J. B. Vuillaume violin, after Stradivarius, sold for about US$251,619.
• London, 2019 – A J. B. Vuillaume cello (a copy of the "Duport" Stradivarius) sold for about US$452,380.
• London, 2021 – The "Tsar Nicholas" violin by J.B. Vuillaume sold for about US$533,597.

Instrument Labels

Vuillaume's instruments usually have special labels inside. These labels often include:

• "J.B. Vuillaume No. 4, Chez N.A. Lété rue Pavée-Saint-Sauveur no. 20 á Paris 1823" (from his early partnership)
• "Jean Baptiste Vuillaume á Paris, rue Croix des Petits Champs"
• "Jean Baptiste Vuillaume á Paris, 3 rue Demours-Ternes"

His signature usually had his initials "JBV" (with J and B joined) inside a double circle. Most instruments also have a number.

Awards and Recognition

Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume received many awards for his excellent work:

• 1827: Silver medal at the French Industrial Exposition.
• 1834: Silver medal at the French Industrial Exposition.
• 1844: Gold medal at the French Industrial Exposition.
• 1849: Gold medal at the French Industrial Exposition.
• 1851: Council medal at the Great Exhibition in London. He was recognized for new ways of making violins that made them sound perfect right away.
• 1855: Gold medal at the Paris International Exhibition.

The Vuillaume Family of Luthiers

The Vuillaume family had a long history of making instruments. Here are some notable members:

• Claude François Vuillaume II (1772–1834): Jean-Baptiste's father.
• Nicolas Vuillaume (1800–1871): Jean-Baptiste's brother. He made high-quality instruments in Mirecourt. Some were finished and sold by Jean-Baptiste in Paris. He also created the 'Stentor' brand of instruments.
• Nicolas François Vuillaume (1802–1876): Another brother, and a very important luthier in the family, second only to Jean-Baptiste. He had his own successful workshop in Brussels.
• Sébastian Vuillaume (1835–1875): Jean-Baptiste's nephew. He worked with his uncle during his most successful period and took over the workshop after Jean-Baptiste's death.

Famous Musicians Who Played Vuillaume Instruments

Many famous violinists and cellists have played instruments made by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume. This shows how highly regarded his instruments were by top musicians.

• Camillo Sivori (1815–1894): Played a Vuillaume copy of Paganini's "Il Cannone."
• Henri Vieuxtemps (1820–1881): Played a Vuillaume violin (now known as the ex-Vieuxtemps).
• Joseph Joachim (1831–1907)
• Eugène Ysaÿe (1858–1931)
• Fritz Kreisler (1875–1962)
• Jack Benny (1894–1974): His Vuillaume violin is now known as the ex-Jack Benny.
• Isaac Stern (1920–2001): Played a Vuillaume copy of a Guarneri del Gesu.
• Arthur Grumiaux (1921–1986): His Vuillaume is now known as the ex-Grumiaux.
• Hilary Hahn (1979): Plays a Vuillaume copy of 'Il Cannone' Guarnerius.
• Nemanja Radulovic (1985): Plays a J.B. Vuillaume violin from 1843.
• Vilde Frang (1986): Plays an 1864 Vuillaume.
• Modigliani quartet (2003): Plays a J.B. Vuillaume string quartet called "The Evangelists."

What People Said About Vuillaume

"Le Messie" Stradivarius 1860, back

What set him apart from the rest is that he was not only an artist without equal, but also a tireless seeker of perfection to whom there was no such thing as failure. It was this driving force which shone through his life and made his work immortal.

—Roger Millant, Paris 1972.

Together with Nicolas Lupot, Vuillaume is the most important French stringed instrument maker and the most important of the Vuillaume family of luthiers

—E. Jaeger, curator of the Vuillaume exhibit in Cité de la Musique.

Vuillaume's ideal, and by constant study and cultivation of his own rare natural powers of observation he acquired such an intimate knowledge and judgement of Stardivari's work in every detail, that he might almost be said to be better acquainted with the maker's instruments than the master himself. Vuillaume soon found the sale of violins, issued as new works without any semblance of antiquity, an unprofitable undertaking and, recognizing the growing demand in all parts of the world for instruments resembling the great works of Cremona, he determined to apply his great skill as a workman, and his extraordinary familiarity with Stradivari's models, to the construction of faithful copies of the greatmaster's works.

This was the foundation of his success, for the modern copies found a ready sale, and orders poured in upon Vuillaume from all parts of the world. These instruments, imitations though they were, had high intrinsic merit; and it is to be remembered that they were copies made from unrivaled models, with fidelity and care such as only a devoted worshipper and a great master of his art could attain. He spared no pains in striving after perfection in the quality of his materials, and he treated the obscure and difficult problem of the varnish (the secret of which, as applied by the old Italian masters, seems to have died with them) with a success which has probably not been equalled by any other maker since their time.

The number of these instruments bearing his name is enormous, upwards of two thousand five hundred being known to exist; and many of them he made throughout with his own hand.... and we have it on the best authority that every instrument was varnished by his own hand."

—W.E. Hill & Sons, London 1902

Jean Baptiste was born in Mirecourt, where he worked until he was 19. He then went to Paris where the influence of François Chanot led him to approach violin making in a scientific manner. This led to his study of acoustics, analyses of varnishes, and to experimentation of various kinds. He won many prizes and achieved recognition as the greatest technical genius of his time, surpassed in French violin making only by Nicolas Lupot.

—Smithsonian Institution

See also

In Spanish: Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume para niños