bouwer

Anonymous old-Dutch

The Dutch school of the 17th and 18th centuries ranks among the world’s best, but unfortunately it has never been properly documented or studied. As a result, much information has been lost, and many instruments have been overlooked. The work of makers such as Hendrik Jacobs, Pieter Rombouts, and the Cuypers family has, however, already garnered widespread recognition. However, this has also led to many instruments in circulation today being attributed to one of those great names, even though these violins were actually built at the time by another fellow citizen.

These anonymous Amsterdam instruments were therefore often sold under those names in later years. While today we speak of about 6 or 7 makers, archival research shows that during the golden age there were at least 24 violin makers in the city of Amsterdam, ranging from masters to apprentices. It is therefore simply not possible that every Amsterdam violin was made by one of the better-known masters.

From this builder

Instrument

violin

Anonymous old-Dutch Amsterdam, ± 1683

played by
Francisco Javier Lupiáñez Ruiz

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Replacing Original Labels

Luthiers such as Gerrit Menslage, Jan Vos, Hendrik Ravekens, David Kleynman, or Jasper Libbega and Pieter Opperdoes—who were recently discovered in the archives—are all registered as violin makers, but there is still a lack of work that can be definitively attributed to them. This is due to the fact that many original paper labels bearing the maker’s signature or name are no longer present on the instruments. Some have been lost, but many original labels have been replaced with forgeries bearing the names of famous makers such as Amati, Rugeri, Stainer, and Albani.

The Amsterdam School, in particular, has suffered greatly as a result. The design, architectural style, and materials used all indicate that the work must have originated in Amsterdam, but it is impossible to attribute it to a specific architect. This is one of the reasons why finding an original signature can be decisive; an anonymous body of work can suddenly be linked to a specific builder.

The Importance of Research

On rare occasions, a luthier may have lived only a short time and thus operated a workshop under his own name for just a few years, as was the case with Arent Roelofz van Munster. A violin he made turned up in the United States but has since disappeared again. This is a typical example of why research into the Dutch school is urgently needed.

Based on this idea, the Hendrik Jacobs Foundation was established—a foundation dedicated to restoring the reputation of early Dutch violin makers and their instruments and highlighting their national and international significance. The Musical Instrument Fund recognizes the importance of this research and wholeheartedly supports the initiative of the Hendrik Jacobs Foundation.