A Very Rare French Violin by Nicolas Lupot 1822
This exquisite violin was made by Nicolas Lupot (1758-1824), “the French Stradivarius”, near the height of his career in 1822. Lupot has often been called the greatest and most influential French violin maker, and this violin is an excellent example of his work.
This instrument has a long and storied history, and we are able to trace its ownership back to the late 1800s. It was purchased by a British collector and player from Hart & Son in London near the turn of the century, and by the 1940s it made its way to Chicago’s William Lewis & Son Co., one of the most reputable shops in the world. There it was purchased by an assistant conductor at a major American symphony, who sold it in 1956 for $3,000 (a new house could be purchased for $7,000) to a mother for her prodigious 13-year-old daughter. This young player took it to Juilliard where she completed both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees before performing professionally with the violin for decades, until her retirement a few years ago.
This violin was featured in a 1947 issue of The Strad magazine, which lauded it as one of Lupot’s “finest Stradivari copies” and provided photographs and detailed measurements. This proved to be of great value, as this violin was later stolen and disappeared for over twenty years. After its sudden and mysterious reappearance, this documentation helped to prove its authenticity, along with dendrochronological analysis and expert examination.
We are thrilled to offer this fine and historic instrument, which has not been on the market in over half a century.
This violin will be sold with a copy of the following:
The 1947 Strad issue in which it was featured
A dendrochronology report by Peter Ratcliffe, London (dates the latest rings to 1793 and 1796)
Certificates from William Lewis & Sons (1940s) and Christopher Reuning (2022)
This instrument has a long and storied history, and we are able to trace its ownership back to the late 1800s. It was purchased by a British collector and player from Hart & Son in London near the turn of the century, and by the 1940s it made its way to Chicago’s William Lewis & Son Co., one of the most reputable shops in the world. There it was purchased by an assistant conductor at a major American symphony, who sold it in 1956 for $3,000 (a new house could be purchased for $7,000) to a mother for her prodigious 13-year-old daughter. This young player took it to Juilliard where she completed both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees before performing professionally with the violin for decades, until her retirement a few years ago.
This violin was featured in a 1947 issue of The Strad magazine, which lauded it as one of Lupot’s “finest Stradivari copies” and provided photographs and detailed measurements. This proved to be of great value, as this violin was later stolen and disappeared for over twenty years. After its sudden and mysterious reappearance, this documentation helped to prove its authenticity, along with dendrochronological analysis and expert examination.
We are thrilled to offer this fine and historic instrument, which has not been on the market in over half a century.
This violin will be sold with a copy of the following:
The 1947 Strad issue in which it was featured
A dendrochronology report by Peter Ratcliffe, London (dates the latest rings to 1793 and 1796)
Certificates from William Lewis & Sons (1940s) and Christopher Reuning (2022)
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