Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri 'del Gesù', Cremona, 1738, the 'Kemp, Emperor'
Violin: 40426
Back: One-piece
Length of back: 35.25 cm
Upper bouts: 16.5 cm
Middle bouts: 11.1 cm
Lower bouts: 20.5 cm
There are 11 additional images in the archive which are not available publicly. Please contact us for more information.
Notes:
Paganini was commissioned by Napoleon to find an instrument similar to the Canon for Napoleon's aide-de-camp, General Ernouf. This was the instrument that Paganini chose.Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesú, Carlos Chiesa, John Dilworth, Roger Graham Hargrave, Stewart Pollens, Duane Rosengard & Eric Wen, Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesú (2 volumes), London
"Its state of preservation is extraordinary, and in this respect it easily surpasses any example by del Gesù with which I am acquainted. . ..
The back, as will be seen, is in one piece and shews a fairly broad curl. Near the purfling on the G side of the instrument a small piece of sycamore has been deftly inserted by the maker, doubtless to replace or make up a deficiency in the material. It is visible (near the shoulder) in the photographs, but is of little or no consequence as affecting the value of the specimen. . . ."
Guarneri del Gesu, Date 1738, Towry Piper, The Strad, 1925, London
"The back is extremely strong in thickness, comparable with the 'Cannon', one of the few Guarneris that survive with this original feature."
Ole Bull 2010: Guarneri del Gesu Collection, John Dilworth, Ole Bull 2010: Guarneri del Gesu Collection, Bergen
"The history of the violin contains a rather romantic story. Napolean is said to have heard Paganini, and been so impressed with the sound of his 'Cannon' that he commissioned Paganini to find a similar instrument for his aide-de-camp, General Ernouf. Paganini found for him this violin, which was named the 'Emperor' in Napolean's honor."
Ole Bull 2010: Guarneri del Gesu Collection, John Dilworth, Ole Bull 2010: Guarneri del Gesu Collection, Bergen
Provenance
| until 1827 | General Ernouf |
| ... | ... |
| in 1889 | Joseph Chardon |
| from 1889 | Antoine Jacques Fourchy |
| 1923-1924 | Nathan E. Posner |
| 1924-1940 | George H. Kemp |
| from 1940 | Robert Augustus Bower |
| until 1949 | W. E. Hill & Sons |
| from 1949 | E. Fleury |
| Sold by Henry Werro | |
| Julian Olevsky | |
| until 1986 | Jacques Français |
| ... | ... |
| from 1986 and in 1998 | Howard Gottlieb |
| until 1999 | Bein & Fushi, Inc |
| ... | ... |
| from 1999 and in 2005 | David L. Fulton |
| Current owner |
Certificates & Documents
- Dendrochronology report: Peter Klein, Hamburg (1998) Dating the youngest tree ring to 1709; both sides match the treble side of the 1745 "Leduc" (ID=448).
Cozio holds copies of many certificates and other documents, some of which are available to view on request. Please contact us if you wish to view a particular document. (Note that we do not always have permission to share documents.)
References
Cremona 1730-1750: the Olympus of Violin Making, Christopher Reuning, editor, Consorzio Liutai Antonio Stradivari, Cremona (illustrated)- The Strad, October, 1994, Stewart Pollens, Orpheus, London (illustrated)
- Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesú (2 volumes), Carlos Chiesa, John Dilworth, Roger Graham Hargrave, Stewart Pollens, Duane Rosengard & Eric Wen, Peter Biddulph, London (illustrated)
- The Strad, 1925, Towry Piper, London, Jan 1925 (illustrated)
- Ole Bull 2010: Guarneri del Gesu Collection, John Dilworth, Bergen (illustrated)
- The Miracle Makers, Bein & Fushi, Chicago (illustrated)
- The Violin Makers of the Guarneri Family, W. Henry, Arthur F. & Alfred E. Hill, William E. Hill & Sons, London, 1931 (illustrated)
- The Violin Masterpieces of Guarneri del Gesù - Exhibition, Peter Biddulph, Peter Biddulph, London (illustrated)
- The Strad, March, 2006, Newsquest Specialist Media, London (illustrated)