Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri 'del Gesù'
Violin maker
(1698 – 1744)
Giuseppe Guarneri's two sons Pietro of Venice and Giuseppe 'del Gesù' both trained with and assisted him in the 1710s, but in keeping with the individuality of the Guarneri tradition their conceptions of violin making developed along strikingly dissimilar lines. While Pietro earns respect for his deft combination of Cremonese and Venetian styles, the rich and complex tonal quality of 'del Gesù''s instruments distinguish him as one of the greatest violin makers in history.
His earliest known independently-produced instruments date from the 1720s, but his trademark IHS (Iesus Hominem Salvator) label did not appear until 1731. In general, 'del Gesù''s work seems influenced by the Brescian school, particularly the elongated c-bouts and f-holes. The 1730s represent the peak of his craftsmanship, especially the
It seems Giuseppe's startling creativity and daring in design and construction more than compensated for his corresponding lack of interest in the details of workmanship, and his violins are equally as exalted as Stradivari's, though by players of divergent tastes. The two have markedly different, almost incomparable, tonal qualities: the violins of 'del Gesù' conserve sweetness but possess unsurpassed depth and darkness of sound that some players prefer. Indeed much of his posthumous fame is owed to Paganini, who counted the 1743
Price History
- The auction record for this maker is $9,440,000 in Mar 2023, for a violin.
- 41 auction price results.
View all auction prices for Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri 'del Gesù'
Guarneri family tree
Instruments
Violin -
c. 1715-22
Cremona
the 'Folinari'
Violin -
c. 1715-22
Cremona
the 'Billotet-Guilet'
Violin -
c. 1715-22
Cremona
the 'Frank, Sin'
Violin -
c. 1715-22
Cremona
the 'Marteau Habisreuthinger'
Violin -
c. 1715-22
Cremona
the 'Rappoldi, Campbell'
Violin -
c. 1715-22
Cremona
the 'Titan, Möller, Moskowsky'
Violin -
c. 1722-26
Cremona
the 'Möller, Samsung'
Violin -
c. 1722-26
Cremona
the 'NY Philharmonic'
Violin -
c. 1722-26
Cremona
the 'Milstein, Herrmann, Moennig'
Violin -
c. 1725-1726
Cremona
Violin -
c. 1725-29
Cremona
the 'Count de Vière-Cheremetieff, Balokovic'
Violin -
c. 1725-29
Cremona
the 'Zimmermann, Aerson'
Violin -
c. 1725-30
Cremona
the 'Enescu, Cathedral, Menuhin'
Violin -
c. 1726-29
Cremona
the 'Dancla, Serato'
Violin -
c. 1727
Cremona
the 'Lenau, Liebig, Ashkenasi'
Violin -
c. 1728
Cremona
the 'Corti, Tolstopiatow, Lvoff'
Violin -
c. 1728
Cremona
the 'Kubelik, von Vecsey'
Violin -
1729
Cremona
the 'Baron Heath'
Violin -
c. 1729
Cremona
the 'Cobbett, Downs'
Violin -
c. 1729-30
Cremona
the 'Lady Stretton'
Violin -
c. 1730
Cremona
the 'David, Payne'
Violin -
c. 1730
Cremona
the 'Baron Vitta'
Violin -
c. 1730
Cremona
the 'Pluvié, Champonay, Kahn'
Violin -
c. 1730
Cremona
the 'Kreisler'
Violin -
c. 1730-31
Cremona
the 'Lord Shaftsbury'
Violin -
c. 1730-34
Cremona
the 'Castelbarco, Haddock, Bromley Booth, Tarisio'
Violin -
1731
Cremona
the 'Gibson, Huberman'
Violin -
c. 1731
Cremona
the 'Baltic'
Violin -
c. 1731
Cremona
the 'Lo Stauffer, Zukerman'
Violin -
c. 1731
Cremona
the 'Stanley Goodman'
Violin -
1731
Cremona
the 'Sorkin, Mischakoff'
Violin -
c. 1731
Cremona
the 'Jean Becker'
Violin -
c. 1731
Cremona
the 'Geneva, Turrettini'
Violin -
c. 1731
Cremona
the 'Marchesa Guasco'
Violin -
c. 1732
Cremona
the 'Dittrich'
Violin -
c. 1732
Cremona
the 'Rode, von Heyder'
Violin -
1732
Cremona
the 'Armingaud'
Violin -
c. 1732
Cremona
the 'Gillott, Lord Dunmore'
Violin -
1732
Cremona
the 'Balokovic, Haupt'
Violin -
1732
Cremona
the 'Kreisler, Nachez'
Violin -
1732
Cremona
the 'Parlow, Henryk Kaston'
Violin -
1732
Cremona
the 'Mayseder'
Violin -
1732
Cremona
the 'Pixis'
Violin -
1732
Cremona
the 'Ferni'
Violin -
1733
Cremona
the 'Lafont-Siskovsky'
Violin -
1733
Cremona
the 'Soil'
Violin -
1733
Cremona
the 'Consolo'
Violin -
1733
Cremona
the 'Hämmerle'
Violin -
1734
Cremona
the 'Rode'
Violin -
1734
Cremona
the 'Violon du Diable'
Violin -
1734
Cremona
the 'Haddock'
Violin -
1734
Cremona
the 'Ferni, duc de Camposelice'
Violin -
1734
Cremona
the 'Spagnoletti'
Violin -
c. 1734
Cremona
the 'Prince Doria'
Violin -
1734
Cremona
the 'Heberlein, le Guillet'
Violin -
1734
Cremona
Violin -
1735
Cremona
the 'Mary Portman'
Violin -
1735
Cremona
the 'Sennhauser'
Violin -
1735
Cremona
the 'Ladenburg, Odnoposoff'
Violin -
1735
Cremona
the 'King'
Violin -
1735
Cremona
the 'd'Egville'
Violin -
1735
Cremona
the 'Plowden'
Violin -
1735
Cremona
the 'Kubelik, Rabin'
Violin -
1735
Cremona
the 'Parlow, Viotti'
Violin -
1735
Cremona
the 'Antoncich, Ward'
Violin -
1735
Cremona
the 'David'
Violin -
1736
Cremona
the 'Count Cessole'
Violin -
c. 1736
Cremona
the 'Lafont'
Violin -
1736
Cremona
the 'Pollitzer, Koessler'
Violin -
1736
Cremona
the 'Wieniawski'
Violin -
1736
Cremona
the 'Muntz, Bustabo'
Violin -
1736-7
Cremona
the 'Pugnani'
Violin -
1737
Cremona
the 'King Joseph, ex-Hawley, ex-Hanemeyer'
Violin -
1737
Cremona
the 'Stern, Panette, Balatre, Alard'
Violin -
1737
Cremona
the 'Joachim'
Violin -
1737
Cremona
the 'Turkish'
Violin -
1737
Cremona
the 'Paulsen'
Violin -
1737
Cremona
the 'Zimbalist'
Violin -
1737
Cremona
the 'Pasquier'
Violin -
1738
Cremona
the 'Adam'
Violin -
1738
Cremona
the 'Kemp, Emperor'
Violin -
c. 1738
Cremona
the 'Lutti, Senn'
Violin -
c. 1738
Cremona
the 'Baron Gutmann, Baron Knoop'
Violin -
1738
Cremona
the 'Haas, Soriano'
Violin -
1738
Cremona
the 'Fountaine, ex Sinsheimer'
Violin -
c. 1738
Cremona
the 'Maggio'
Violin -
1739
Cremona
the 'Kortschak, Wurlitzer, Hammig, Spanish Joseph'
Violin -
1739
Cremona
the 'Ebersolt, Menuhin'
Violin -
1739
Cremona
the 'Museum'
Violin -
1739
Cremona
the 'Bower, Druian'
Violin -
1739
Cremona
the 'Beare, Steinhardt'
Violin -
c. 1739
Cremona
the 'Briggs'
Violin -
1740
Cremona
the 'Ysaÿe'
Violin -
c. 1740
Cremona
the 'Heifetz, David'
Violin -
c. 1740
Cremona
the 'Rebner, Bonjour'
Violin -
c. 1740
Cremona
the 'Casadesus'
Violin -
c. 1740
Cremona
the 'Pestel, Menuhin'
Violin -
c. 1740-1741
Cremona
the 'Baron d'Erlanger'
Violin -
1741
Cremona
the 'Carrodus'
Violin -
1741
Cremona
the 'Vieuxtemps'
Violin -
c. 1741
Cremona
the 'Duc de Camposelice'
Violin -
c. 1741
Cremona
the 'Hart, Kreisler'
Violin -
1741
Cremona
the 'Kochánski'
Violin -
c. 1741
Cremona
the 'Camilla Urso'
Violin -
1741
Cremona
the 'Henry Holst'
Violin -
1741
Cremona
Violin -
c. 1741
Cremona
the 'Vieuxtemps, Wilmotte'
Violin -
1741
Cremona
the 'Playfair'
Violin -
1742
Cremona
the 'Wieniawski'
Violin -
1742
Cremona
the 'Lord Wilton'
Violin -
1742
Cremona
the 'Tellefsen'
Violin -
c. 1742
Cremona
the 'Lipinski'
Violin -
c. 1742
Cremona
the 'Donaldson, McAllister, Sorobin'
Violin -
1742
Cremona
the 'Alard'
Violin -
1742
Cremona
the 'Soldat'
Violin -
1742
Cremona
the 'Dushkin'
Violin -
1742
Cremona
the 'Segelman'
Violin -
1742
Cremona
the 'Dragonetti, Walton'
Violin -
1742
Cremona
the 'ex Moser'
Violin -
1742
Cremona
the 'Benno Rabinof'
Violin -
1743
Cremona
the 'Il Cannone, Paganini'
Violin -
1743
Cremona
the 'Sauret'
Violin -
1743
Cremona
the 'Carrodus'
Violin -
1743
Cremona
the ''Canary Bird''
Violin -
1743
Cremona
the 'Baron Heath'
Violin -
1743
Cremona
the 'Spalding'
Violin -
1743
Cremona
the 'Brusilow'
Violin -
1744
Cremona
the 'Lord Coke'
Violin -
c. 1744
Cremona
the 'Sainton, Betti'
Violin -
1744
Cremona
the 'Doyen'
Violin -
1744
Cremona
the 'Ole Bull'
Violin -
c. 1744
Cremona
the 'Gregorowicz'
Violin -
1744
Cremona
the 'Cariplo, Hennel, Rosé'
Violin -
1744
Cremona
the 'Prince of Orange, Wald, Hoffmann'
Violin -
c. 1744
Cremona
the 'de Bériot'
Violin -
1744
Cremona
the 'Edith Lorand, Columbus, Terminator'
Small Violin -
1735
Cremona
the 'Chardon'
Small Violin -
1740
Cremona
the 'Fountaine'
Cello -
1731
Cremona
the 'Messeas'
