About this instrument
Solo violin by Georges Chanot I (Chanot père), Paris, c. 1820
This beautiful violin was made by Georges Chanot, known as Chanot père, in Paris around 1820. It has survived in exceptionally fine condition: the top, back and ribs are entirely free of cracks. For the sake of completeness: there is a small repair to the pegbox at the A peg, which is of no consequence for sound or playability. An instrument more than 200 years old in this state of preservation is a true rarity.
Georges Chanot was born in Mirecourt on 25 March 1801, the youngest son of the violin maker Joseph Chanot. He came to Paris as a young man. There he first helped his elder brother François build his patented guitar-shaped violins and worked for Charles François Gand (Gand père) and Nicolas Lété. In 1821 he founded his own workshop in Paris, which he ran until 1872, so this violin comes from his early Paris period. Chanot was regarded as a great connoisseur of Italian instruments and, alongside Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, ranks among the important Parisian violin makers of the 19th century. His sons Adolphe and Georges went to London, where Georges founded the well-known London branch of the Chanot family. In 1872 his son Joseph Chardon took over the Paris workshop under the name Chanot-Chardon. Georges Chanot died in Courcelles in 1883, by tradition still in the middle of working on a cello.
Visually, too, this violin is a beautiful object. The maple back shows lively, medium-width flames that continue into the ribs. The top of evenly grown spruce has growth rings that widen slightly towards the flanks. The warm golden-brown to orange-brown varnish makes the wood glow and has acquired a beautiful natural patina over the years. The scroll is finely and powerfully carved, the f-holes are elegantly cut, and the corners and purfling are clean and precise.
Tonally it is a true soloist's instrument: it has a large, soloistic sound with great depth and a rich palette of colours. At the same time it responds easily and is very comfortable to play.
Body length: 35.8 cm. The violin is sold with a certificate by Serge Boyer, Paris.
A fine example by this important Parisian master, best experienced in person. You are warmly invited to my showroom in Hildesheim to try the violin at your leisure.