Giovanni Battista Gabrielli

1716 – 1771

 

Giovanni Battista Gabrielli was born in Florence, Italy, in 1716. In the early 18th century almost all fine violins were made in Cremona and in cities like Florence there was very little attempt to compete with the Cremonese masters. When Gabrielli was young, the only significant workshop was that of Bartolomeo Cristofori. It’s likely that he came to this workshop to study the fundamentals of violin making.

Gabrielli made the vast majority of his instruments in the very popular Stainer model. He was so loyal to this model that he ultimately became notorious for his excellent Stainer copies. He was also inspired by Amati particularly in the design of his scrolls. Gabrielli often used maple wood for the base of his violins and beech wood for purfling and the interiors. He used a rich golden-yellow or orange varnish.

Gabrielli trained many of the most important makers in Florence, including the Carcassi brothers. His influence on the Florentine school was incredibly profound.