Giulio Cesare Gigli

Violin maker
(c. 1724 – 1794)

Giulio Cesare Gigli (c. 1724–1794) was an important violin maker of the Roman school and one of the principal successors to the tradition established in Rome by David Tecchler and Michele Platner. He was apprenticed to his uncle, Michele Platner, from ...Read More about 1738 and, following Platner’s death in 1752, inherited his workshop, tools, and stock, continuing the business in Rome.

Gigli’s instruments are comparatively rare, but the best examples demonstrate a confident and distinctive style. His work preserves much of the broad, substantial character associated with the Roman school, particularly in his cellos, which are often made on generous models with strong arching and vigorous workmanship. His violins tend likewise to be of relatively large proportions, with prominent corners and carefully finished details. The arching and soundholes sometimes retain traces of the Stainer influence that remained important in eighteenth-century Roman making.

Although clearly indebted to Platner, Gigli developed an individual and recognizable interpretation of the Roman tradition rather than simply reproducing his teacher’s work. His cellos are particularly admired and rank among his most successful instruments. Surviving examples confirm his position as a significant figure in Roman violin making during the second half of the eighteenth century, bridging the generation of Tecchler and Platner with the later makers of the city. Read Less

Price History

- The auction record for this maker is $95,225 in Oct 2014, for a violin.
- 22 auction price results.

View all auction prices for Giulio Cesare Gigli

FULL SIZE