Fine violin by Claude Pirot, Paris circa 1810 (certificate by J.-J. Rampal)

Claude Pirot understood the art of merging fine Italian tradition and an inimitably French note in his oeuvre which yielded some of the most interesting stringed instruments in the fin de siècle period.

 This French violin by Parisian luthier Claude Pirot was created during the mature phase of a master whose works were often mistaken for authentic pieces by his great contemporary Nicolas Lupot; indeed, Pirot’s oeuvre ranks among the true highlights of French violin making in the period before Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume. While little of Pirot’s biography has been researched, his personality is clearly manifest in the instruments of his which have survived: they reflect a faithful yet certainly critical orientation towards the work of Antonio Stradivari while setting interesting and independent accents in the design of the table, the varnish and the scroll. On this violin, which was crafted in the fin de siècle period, the varnish breathes the spirit of cosmopolitan Parisian culture. Lovingly crafted down to the finest detail, the scroll still shows a hint of the stylish blackened edges it once had, and the dark reddish-brown varnish harmonises beautifully with the fine to moderate grain of the spruce top and the rich flames of the one-piece back. The violin features a truly lovely sound and has been maintained in excellent condition, including a larger varnish touch-up on the back and a few restorations on the right side of the top: none of these minor repairs have in any way affected its excellent playing properties. A certificate by the renowned expert Jean-Jacques Rampal confirms the provenance of this instrument, which our luthiers have set up and made ready to play for demanding professional musicians to enjoy. With the sophisticated character of its large sound, this violin combines a clear warmth in the lower registers with pleasant sweetness and impressive radiance in the upper registers, creating a highly distinctive voice.