Michel Couturieux, French violin, circa 1850 - violinist's recommendation!

With its attractive appearance, this French violin by Michel Couturieux is a truly lovely reference instrument of French violin making in the mid-19th century – a beautifully preserved violin with a magnificent sound for musicians who appreciate historic instruments with a distinctive style.

The luthiers at the highly regarded Michel Couturieux workshop focused particular attention on this violin, which dates back to around 1850. Its sophisticated ornamentation features meticulously applied double purfling, immediately making this interesting violin stand out amongst the other pieces from this well-established workshop. Inside the body is its original mark, and despite the fact that it claims that the violin comes “à Paris” – a tribute which was simply considered to be good style during this era of violin making so heavily influenced by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume – the violin clearly represents the French tradition of violin making. This Michel Couturieux violin’s transparent orange-brownish varnish highlights the aesthetic of the fine- to moderately-grained spruce top and the interesting irregularities of the one-piece maple back. A minor repair to the voluminous, elegantly carved scroll emphasises the authentic aesthetic of this very well-preserved antique violin, which was carefully set up and made ready to play by the restoration specialists at our workshop. This Michel Couturieux violin is also a musically persuasive choice thanks to its bright, clear, sweet sound.