Pierre & Hippolyte Silvestre

Violin maker
(1831 – 1859)

Pierre Silvestre apprenticed locally in Mirecourt before moving to Paris to work for Nicolas Lupot and Gand père. In 1829 he left the Gand workshop to start his own business ...Read More in Lyon. Silvestre's brother Hippolyte joined him two years later, after working for J.B. Vuillaume in Paris. The two formed a partnership, producing 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. Read Less