Guarneri del Gesù Violin Once Owned by Ysaÿe and Stern Fetches 2.3 Million Euros in Paris Auction

A violin crafted by the esteemed Italian luthier Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri, famously known as del Gesù, has successfully sold at a Parisian auction held by Artcurial. The final hammer price surpassed the 2.3 million euro mark. This instrument, created sometime between 1698 and 1744 in Cremona, entered the auction with a pre-sale estimate ranging between 2 and 2.5 million euros, underscoring the robust market demand for works by this master craftsman.

The scarcity of Guarneri’s output contributes significantly to the high value of each surviving piece. Fewer than 150 violins attributed to Guarneri del Gesù are known to exist today. This rarity contrasts sharply with the legacy of his contemporary, Antonio Stradivari, who left behind an estimated 1,100 instruments. Consequently, any Guarneri coming to market is an exceptional event for collectors and musicians alike.

Guarneri del Gesù’s instruments are traditionally recognized for possessing a timbre that is often described as richer and more 'aggressive' compared to the celebrated warmth found in Stradivari’s creations. The maker earned the moniker ‘del Gesù’ from the IHS (Iesus Hominum Salvator) monogram frequently inscribed on his labels. He prioritized acoustic power over purely aesthetic refinement, which sometimes resulted in a more austere visual presentation in his finished works.

The specific violin that commanded the high price boasts an extraordinary provenance. It was previously the instrument of choice for the celebrated violinist Eugène Ysaÿe, and later passed into the hands of the legendary Isaac Stern. The fact that both virtuosos left personal annotations within the instrument’s body substantially elevates its historical and collectible stature, making it a true museum-quality piece.

A unique characteristic noted by experts concerns the instrument's construction: the top plate was fashioned by del Gesù himself, while the scroll is attributed to his father, Giuseppe Giovanni Battista Guarneri. Representatives from Artcurial commented that the opportunity to play such a historically significant instrument remains the 'dream of every violinist,' confirming sustained collector interest. Public sales of top-tier Guarneri violins are infrequent events in the world of fine stringed instruments.

To put the 2.3 million euro sale into perspective, the 1731 'Baltica' violin by Guarneri was previously offered with an estimate exceeding 10 million US dollars. This suggests that the recent sale price reflects a more conservative valuation, perhaps due to the specific construction details involving the inherited scroll. Nevertheless, instruments from Guarneri’s later period are highly prized for their intense projection and consistently smooth tonal quality across all four strings.

This successful transaction aligns perfectly with the broader trend of high demand for historically important artifacts across global auction houses. It reinforces the perception of these master instruments as stable, tangible assets within the investment landscape. Artcurial, based in Paris, maintains a strong reputation for handling major sales, including recent fine art auctions that realized tens of millions of euros.