Giovanni Rota
Violin maker
(1767 – c. 1810)
A descendant of Nicolò Amati's wife, Giovanni Rota became part of Lorenzo Storioni's workshop and household in 1787. He worked for Storioni for the next five years, and almost certainly got to know Nicola Bergonzi, since Bergonzi also lived there from 1790 to 1795. Dmitry Gindin has suggested that Rota spent much of his career assisting the great Cremonese makers of the period, including Storioni, Bergonzi, and Giovanni Battista Ceruti, which may explain why so few instruments attributed solely to Rota remain. On the whole Rota made excellent use of the models surrounding him rather than pursuing his own creativity, but his own artistry is evident even in his faithful reproductions of typical late Cremonese patterns. The materials are characteristic of the period and region, and in general the craftsmanship is superb, with precise detailing of the scroll and f-holes, and broad purfling. Along with violins, Rota made violas and cellos, which are modeled on the smaller patterns of his contemporaries.
Price History
- The auction record for this maker is $201,200 in Nov 2008, for a violin.
- 6 auction price results.
View all auction prices for Giovanni Rota
Instruments
Violin -
1793
Mantua
Violin -
1800
Cremona
Violin -
1806
Cremona
Violin -
1807
Cremona
Violin -
1808
Cremona