Giovanni Battista Ceruti
Violin maker
(1756 – 1817)
Giovanni Battista Ceruti, traditionally believed to have been a student of Storioni, was born just outside Cremona in the town of Sesto. He moved to Cremona in 1786 and entered the violin making trade about ten years later, probably after becoming acquainted with the Bergonzi brothers Carlo II and Nicola. Storioni left Cremona in 1802, at which point Ceruti may have taken over his workshop. In any case, Ceruti made the most of Storioni's absence by producing a significant number of instruments, which are of somewhat ordinary materials but surpass Storioni's work in precision and craftsmanship. Along with Storioni, Ceruti and his descendants are recognized for their role in reviving the Cremonese tradition, which they dominated over three generations. Giovanni Battista died in 1817, probably of typhus, and his son Giuseppe Antonio and grandson Enrico continued the family legacy of violin making.
Price History
- The auction record for this maker is $267,776 in Jun 2023, for a violin.
- 53 auction price results.
View all auction prices for Giovanni Battista Ceruti
Ceruti family tree
Instruments
Violin -
c. 1805
Cremona
Violin -
1805
Cremona
Violin -
1805
Cremona
Violin -
1808
Cremona
Violin -
1810
Cremona
Violin -
1810
Cremona
Violin -
1813
Cremona
Violin -
1813
Cremona
Violin -
c. 1815
Cremona
Violin -
c. 1815
Cremona