Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri 'del Gesù', Cremona, c. 1741, the 'Hart, Kreisler'
Violin: 40551
Labeled, "Joseph Guarnerius fecit, Cremonae anno 1737."
Back: Two-piece
Length of back: 35.4 cm
Upper bouts: 16.7 cm
Middle bouts: 11.4 cm
Lower bouts: 20.2 cm
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Notes:
Listed as 1733 in some documents.The World of Fritz Kreisler, Leslie Sheppard, The Strad, August, 1979, London
"The fittings of this violin are beautiful indeed. On the tailpiece the initials of Guarnerius and the date 1737 appear in diamonds. The pegs and button are set with diamonds and rubies. The case alone of this prize is valued at £200."
Correspondence, The Violin Times, July, 1902, London
"How it came into the possession of its present owner we will let him tell in his own words. Here is the story. " One day as I entered the rooms of Mr. Hart I heard a voice, liquid, pure, penetrating, which filled my soul with longing and made me determined to possess such a treasure at any cost. There were difficulties in the way, as Mr. Hart had already parted with it to a collector, and it was only after long and earnest persuasion, in which Mr. Hart joined, that I was enabled to buy it for £2000." What really turned the scale however was the fact that on hearing the artist play on the violin, its possessor decided that any one who could bring such wonderful sounds from it deserved to have it for his own. The " Hart Guarnerius " belonged to the late Mr. George Hart, who prized it so highly that he could not be induced to part with it. His son received offers from people in every part of the world, and the late Professor Wilhelmj made repeated efforts to obtain it, but without success. The date of the violin is 1737, and the initials of the famous Joseph Guarnerius are set in diamonds on the tail piece, while the pegs and buttons are also ornamented with diamonds and rubies."
Fritz Kreisler's Violins, B. Henderson, The Strad, 1908, London
Provenance
| until 1902 | George Hart |
| until 1904 | John Adam |
| 1904-1917 | Fritz Kreisler |
| 1917-1925 | Howard W. McAteer |
| from 1925 | Francis C. Dale |
| in 1927 | Sold by Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. |
| from 1927 | Erich Lachmann |
| 1927-1935 | Prince Christian Stolberg zu Wernigerode |
| 1928-1935 | |
| in 1935 | Sold by Hamma & Co. |
| ... | ... |
| from c. 1950 | Rudolph Loeb |
| in 1967 | Estate of Rudolf Lob |
| in 1970 | Sold by Rembert Wurlitzer Inc. |
| from 1970 | Hans Bauer |
| from 1970 | George A. Gade |
| from 2007 | Velux Foundation |
Known players
Fritz Kreisler, Nikolaj Znaider
Certificates & Documents
Letter: Rembert Wurlitzer Inc., New York, NY (1970)- Certificate: Rembert Wurlitzer Inc., New York, NY (1970)
Letter: Rembert Wurlitzer Inc., New York, NY (1970)
Certificate: Rembert Wurlitzer Inc., New York, NY (1970)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
- An Encyclopedia of the Violin (1925), Alberto Bachman, The Library Press Limited, London
- The Strad, December, 2009, Caroline Gill, Newsquest Specialist Media, London
- The Violin Times, July, 1902, edited by E. Polanski, London
The Strad, 1908, B. Henderson, London, Oct 1908 (illustrated)- Italian Violin Makers (1964), Karel Jalovec, Paul Hamlyn, London, 1964 (illustrated)
- Italienische Geigenbauer (1957), Karel Jalovec, Artia, Prague, 1957 (illustrated)
- Kreisler’s Violins, Cozio Carteggio feature, Tully Potter, 2017
- Meisterwerke Italienischer Geigenbaukunst, Fridolin Hamma, Hamma & Co., Stuttgart (illustrated)
- NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR
- Private Archives - 10842
- The Gentle Hoaxer
- The Strad, August, 1979, Leslie Sheppard, London
- W. E. Hill & Sons Photographic Archive (illustrated)
The Strad, 1908, B. Henderson, London, Oct 1908 (illustrated)
