Cello
1700-1800 (Made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
By about 1750, the 'cellos had largely replaced the bass viol as the main source of lower range notes in the string section of an orchestra or ensemble. This instrument belonged to Jean Gérardy (1877 - 1929), a leading Belgian cellist who toured extensively throughout Europe and America from about 1890 until 1920. Although it has a 1711 Stradivarius label, this instrument was probably made in Venice some time later on in the 18th century.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Sawed and planed back of sycamore; planed and purfled (bordered) belly of pine. |
| Brief description | Sycamore body and pine belly, Venice, 1700-1800 |
| Physical description | 'Belly of two pieces of pine, back of two pieces of sycamore. Inlaid purfling of two black lines and one light. The body has been altered from its original shape. The later neck shows much use, and the pegholes have twice been plugged and redrilled' - Anthony Baines: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments (London, 1998), p. 19. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Antonius Stradivarius Cremoneniis [sic] Faciebat Anno 1[7]11 (This is printed on a label, which was probably taken from another instrument. Placing Stradivarius labels in other instruments, often old and of high quality, was a widespread practice from the 19th century onwards.)
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| Credit line | Given to the Museum by Mme Amelia Gérardy in memory of her husband Jean Gérardy. |
| Object history | This instrument was given to the museum in 1950 by Mme Amelia Gérardy in memory of her husband Jean Gérardy (1877 - 1929), a distinguished Belgian 'cellist. |
| Summary | By about 1750, the 'cellos had largely replaced the bass viol as the main source of lower range notes in the string section of an orchestra or ensemble. This instrument belonged to Jean Gérardy (1877 - 1929), a leading Belgian cellist who toured extensively throughout Europe and America from about 1890 until 1920. Although it has a 1711 Stradivarius label, this instrument was probably made in Venice some time later on in the 18th century. |
| Bibliographic reference | Anthony Baines: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments. (London, 1998), p. 19. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.4-1950 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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