Launch of a three-year
study on
mysterious
Dutch
violin makers
Starting this summer, the Hendrik Jacobs Foundation will begin its research into the history of Dutch violin making, an initiative launched by violin maker Hubert de Launay. Thanks to private donors and grants, the foundation will be able to allocate no less than 450,000 euros to researching 17th-century violin making in Amsterdam and 18th-century violin making in The Hague, as well as analyzing old Dutch instruments in 11 countries worldwide. The Rijksmuseum, the Kunstmuseum Den Haag, and the Musical Instrument Fund have pledged their cooperation.
A lack of research
Hubert de Launay (Vianen, 1988), founder and artistic director of the foundation, has been collecting information about old Dutch instruments and makers for 14 years. During his training, the violin maker developed a keen interest in traditional Dutch violin making and was surprised by the lack of thorough research on the subject. Fortunately, the professional team at the Hendrik Jacobs Foundation succeeded in securing the funds needed to finance their research. All of this information will ultimately lead to the publication of a book that does justice to the importance of this piece of cultural heritage. There are also plans for lectures, concerts, an exhibition, and the development of a training program for young violin makers.
Everyone knows Rembrandt and Vermeer!
According to De Launay, attention in the Netherlands has always been focused on the great masters of painting, such as Rembrandt and Vermeer, but people tend to forget the great violin makers. “From the dyes, varnishes, wood, and tools used, we can see that Dutch violin makers had access to the finest materials and were also exposed to instruments from places like Italy—high-quality instruments that served as a source of inspiration for them.” Everyone knows the name Stradivarius, but virtually no one knows the names of Hendrik Jacobs and his contemporaries.
A Dutch violin is known as an Italian one
“Strangely enough, this chapter of history remains largely unexplored,” De Launay continues. “There must have been at least 24 violin makers active at the time, but we’ve only been able to identify a few names. And even about those slightly better-known names, much remains unknown. As a result, many instruments have disappeared abroad, where they are often attributed to the wrong Dutch makers, or are even passed off as Italian instruments.” Through this research, the Hendrik Jacobs Foundation hopes to give old Dutch violin making the recognition it deserves on the world stage, but the ultimate goal is to share this information with fellow professionals and, of course, with all lovers of Dutch culture.
Thanks to our valuable partnerships
A professional team, including historians Wim de Bell and Maarten Hell, is on hand to conduct the research. The Musical Instrument Fund is working closely with the Hendrik Jacobs Foundation, given the dozens of old Dutch instruments in its collection—and the Kunstmuseum Den Haag is granting access to its extensive collection of instruments. The Rijksmuseum is also contributing to the research; Giovanni Paolo Di Stefano, curator of musical instruments, will be involved in examining several instruments from the museum’s collection.
"Unprecedented Heritage" Podcast
Be sure to check out our podcast episode with Hubert de Launay, in which Frits Schutte (head of collections) spoke with the violin maker about his research.
Listen to our podcast