Antonio Gragnani
Livorno, 1787

We are thrilled to offer a violin by Antonio Gragnani, an important Italian maker who worked in the coastal city of Livorno in the mid-to-late 1700s. He likely trained in nearby Florence, and his work echoes the style and craftsmanship of makers there, notably Gabrielli.

Gragnani worked in an extremely detailed manner, with precision as fine as any classical Italian maker. Inspiration for his models mainly came from Amati and early Stradivari instruments. He added a few recognizable personal touches in the long, slender sound holes, and scrolls with elongated peg boxes and somewhat “pinched” oval volutes. His work is always branded with his initials “AG”, usually under the button or end button.

This violin is covered in Gragnani’s typical golden-brown varnish and has a powerful, projecting tone fit for a musician of the highest caliber.