‘DeLay’ Guadagnini of 1778
The world-record price for a Giovanni Battista Guadagnini violin was set by the ‘Dorothy DeLay’ of 1778 when it auctioned for $1.39 million. DeLay, who bought the violin from Rembert Wurlitzer Inc. over 40 years ago, chose it for its remarkable sound against a line-up of competing Guadagninis. It was auctioned on the additional merits of being a strong example of the maker’s Turin period and the important provenance established in DeLay’s ownership. The violin was well known by students from her long career teaching at The Juilliard School in New York and was met with wide recognition when it appeared at auction in 2013.
