School of Vuillaume Cello C. 1864

A fine French cello from the latter part of the 19th century, it’s in great shape for the age and has an outstanding sound.

Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume (b.1798, d.1875) was born in Mirecourt into an established family of luthiers that stretched back several generations. Vuillaume studied in Mirecourt and upon finishing his apprenticeship he worked at François Chanot’s Parisian workshop. He later opened his own workshop in 1825 where he continued to perfect his copyist abilities, crafting fine facsimiles of the old Italian masters. One of Vuillaume’s four brothers, Nicolas François (b.1802, d.1876), joined him in Paris, eventually moving back to Mirecourt and on to Brussels, Belgium after opening his own shop where he worked as luthier for Brussels’ Royal Conservatory of Music. Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume remained a prolific maker of consistent and impressive accuracy. He was also an astute businessman who employed a talented team of luthiers and was able to establish himself as a successful dealer, connoisseur, inventor, and the most influential maker of his time.

Vuillaume’s impact was so profound that an entire school of instrument making followed his lead. This fine French cello from the late nineteenth century is a prime example of the work typical of the Vuillaume School.