Antonio Stradivari 1732 VC Stuart, Honigberg
In the final years of his life, Stradivari reverted to making instruments of reduced dimensions. This choice, particularly evident in the violins, also applied to some of the cellos manufactured after 1730. The Hill Brothers suggested a possible motive for this shift being an increased influence Stradivari’s sons had in their father’s workshop: ‘The reason why the proportions should have been diminished is more difficult of explanation: it may be that the younger men asserted themselves and sought to carry out their own ideas; in fact, they had yet to learn the real greatness of the master’s principles. On the other hand, we must remember that sufficient time had not yet elapsed for the absolute superiority of Stradivari’s perfected instruments to be fully established and recognised.’
Further Details
Antonio Stradivari Set 1, Volume 4, Page 234
