Hippolyte Silvestre
Violin maker
(1808 – 1879)
Born near Nancy, violin maker Hippolyte Silvestre moved to Paris around the late 1820s to work for J.B. Vuillaume. In 1831 he joined his brother Pierre in Lyon, where the brothers began to produce instruments jointly. Of the two, Pierre is perhaps regarded as superior, but both were accomplished as individuals. Built mostly on Stradivari and Guarneri models, their work is of excellent craftsmanship and tone, and is among the finest produced in 19th century France. Varnish is often a dark red, with some antiquing. After Hippolyte's retirement in 1848, Pierre continued to work alone until his death in 1859, at which point Hippolyte returned to violin making until 1865, when the business was passed on to the brothers' nephew Hippolyte Chrétien.
Price History
- The auction record for this maker is $34,336 in Jun 2012, for a violin.
- 24 auction price results.
View all auction prices for Hippolyte Silvestre
Silvestre family tree
Instruments
Violin -
1848
Lyon
Violin -
1860
Lyon
Violin -
1860
Lyon
Violin -
1862
Lyon
Violin -
1863
Lyon