violin
Johannes Theodorus Cuypers
built in The Hague in ± 1760
A violin built by Johannes Theodorus Cuypers in The Hague, ca. 1760.
History of this instrument
The Musical Instrument Fund purchased this Cuypers in 2000 from a Dutch dealer. The Musical Instrument Fund has a total of 15 instruments in its collection that were built by Johannes Cuypers or his sons. According to various experts, this is a beautiful and early Johannes Cuypers, based on a small model. Prior to the purchase, the Cuypers was part of an extensive sound test involving about eight violins in the main hall of the Concertgebouw. It was immediately apparent how exceptionally well this violin projected its sound. The sound seemed to grow as it traveled the length of the hall and reached the back rows with ease. Jurriëtte van der Hoeven was the first to play the violin. Since 2015, it has been on loan to Raphaella Engelsberg.
About the builder Johannes Theodorus Cuypers
The Netherlands experienced two periods of prosperity in violin making. The first was in Amsterdam from 1650 to 1728; the second took place largely in The Hague, from 1760 to 1840. This peak was primarily due to the Cuypers family, led...
