Johannes Theodorus Cuypers

From Germany to the Netherlands

Johannes Theodorus Cuypers was born in 1724 in the small German village of Dornick. His parents, Hermanus Kuppers and Jenneke Ross, went on to have two more children, but nothing else is known about the family’s life in Dornick. After that, there is a long gap in the record until January 24, 1752, when Theodorus obtained citizenship in The Hague.

Large-scale production at the Kalvermarkt

By then, the surname Kuppers had already been “Dutchified” to Cuypers. There are many theories about this, but we still do not know where he learned the craft—as is the case with many Dutch violin makers. In 1761, Theodorus married Anna Maria Borneman, and from that year onward, we also have records of the first instruments he made. He and his wife had no fewer than nine children, two of whom would follow in their father’s footsteps: Franciscus and Bernardus. Theodorus moved several times during his lifetime; all of his addresses were in the vicinity of the Binnenhof, yet his workshop appears to have been located at Kalvermarkt 2 throughout that time. In addition to violins of various sizes, Cuypers’ workshop produced violas, cellos, guitars, zithers, mandolins, and pocket violins. Johannes Theodorus could not possibly have managed such a large-scale production on his own, so his story cannot be told without mentioning both of his sons.

Consistent work

Despite references in some sources, no works from the 1750s are known; the earliest instruments we know of date from 1761. Until 1770, Theodorus used printed labels, but after that we see the familiar handwritten labels, on which he also began noting his age starting in 1793. While Theodorus began with a fairly personal design featuring slender f-holes and an elegant, refined scroll, around 1775 he adopted a design he would use for the rest of his life: a combination of a Stradivari outline, Guarneri-inspired f-holes, a light amber-colored alcohol varnish, and a highly personal scroll featuring an upright oval shape instead of a circular volute. The full edgework, the corners with a sharply angled inlay miter, and the often pale “black” inlay shavings are also highly personal and clearly recognizable. The saw marks and the grain of his cross-grain wood are often still visible in his scrolls.

French influence

The type of varnish used on the instruments is very typical of that period and can be seen in the work of many violin makers, particularly French makers such as Guersan and Salomon, but also among French makers who later settled in the Netherlands: Benoît-Joseph Boussu and J.B. Lefèbvre. On rare occasions, Theodorus chose to give his instruments a more brownish hue. The origin of the wood is unknown, though it is strikingly often the same figured wood, which suggests he had a large stock; furthermore, the tops are regularly—contrary to tradition—carved from a single piece.

Both sons

Because his work remains virtually unchanged, it is difficult to discern the characteristics of his sons in his work. Nevertheless, they must have played an important role in the production of the instruments. It was not until the final years of Theodorus’s life that the hand of his youngest son, Bernardus, became clearly recognizable in certain scrolls and the edge detailing. The scrolls then became somewhat bolder, and the corners acquired a characteristic flat and slanted finish. Franciscus’s role remains a mystery, as he lived in Amsterdam for 40 years—a considerable distance from the Cuypers workshop. Evidence of semi-finished instruments made by him that were supposedly sent to The Hague for further finishing has never been substantiated. However, fully built instruments made by him are known from the time his father was still alive and are therefore signed under his father’s name. These instruments are often more distinctive in design, with more pronounced edges and corners and a refined scroll. Franciscus’s individual style truly came to the fore after his father’s death, when he began signing the instruments under his own name and listing Amsterdam as his place of residence.

Sources

D.J. Balfoort, 1931 *Dutch Violin Makers*, H.J. Paris, Amsterdam.

Bolink, J., Giskes, J., Lindeman, F., and Stam, S., 1999, 400 Years of Violin Making in the Netherlands, Amsterdam.

Amsterdam City Archives, accessed in 2025