Girolamo (Hieronymus) (II) Amati

Type	Details	Sold	Price
Violin	35.2 cm Cremona, 1696 (possibly composite) [Ascribed to]	Wed 1st November 2006	£33,081
Violin	34.9 cm 1690 c.	Wed 1st November 2006	£18,044
Cello	Cremona, c.1700 With Provenance	Sun 1st May 2005	£206,262
Violin	1671	Tue 1st April 2003	£52,281
Violin		Fri 1st March 1996	£17,250
Violin	1700 c.	Wed 1st July 1992	£27,500

John Dilworth

AMATI, Hieronymus (II) Born 1649, died 1740 Cremona Italy. Son, pupil, and successor of Nicolò Amati, above. His workmanship makes itself apparent after c.1670 and, while he is generally considered to be a lesser maker than the rest of his family, there are considerable merits in his work. He was probably the presiding craftsman in the workshop when many of the foreign apprentices such as Segher were present, c.1680-1682. His career suffered greatly by the rise of Antonio Stradivari to dominance in Cremona during his lifetime. Nevertheless, he was clearly aware of Stradivari’s ideas and not afraid to put them to use in his own work. He lowered the high recurved archings favoured by Nicolò and made flatter, more Stradivarian, models. He also used a deep red shade of varnish in his middle period, comparable to that of Stradivari’s best period and different in nature to the traditional Amati golden-yellow. The Amati shop in San Faustino seemed to stagnate in the face of competition from Stradivari, Guarneri, and Rugeri and in 1697 he left Cremona. He remained active and a very few instruments are dated from Piacenza. He returned in 1715 and continued making in his native city, although somewhat fitfully, until a great age. He made several cellos, a very few violas (at least one of excellent contralto size), and one superb double bass. His violins are excellent playing instruments, combining the virtues of Nicolò Amati and Stradivari to good effect. Hieronimus Amatus / fecit Cremonæ, 1670 Hieronymus Amatus / Cremonen. Nicolai fil.17..

Willibald Leo Lütgendorff

Dritter Sohn von Nicola A. Er war seit 1678 mit Angiola Carettoni (†1685)
verheirathet und hatte drei Kinder, die früh starben. Immer noch gut in seiner
Arbeit, aber doch der unbedeutendste Meister der Familie. Nur die F-Löcher
verrathen manchmal noch den alten Schwung der Amati-Schule, sind aber sorglos
geschnitten. Er gebrauchte verschiedene Zettel.

Cecie Stainer

Third son and successor of Nicola Amati, b. Feb. 26, 1649; d. Feb. 21, 1740 ; buried in San Tommaso. His instruments are poor compared to those made by Nicola ; he follows an inferior pattern, the sound-holes being straight and placed too close to each other. The instruments made on a large flat pattern are the best, the sound-holes being wider apart; but the varnish, though sometimes soft and transparent, is generally of bad quality.
Instruments with his label dated 1703-23 were supposed to have been made either by Sneider of Pavia or G. B. Rogeri of Brescia ; several instruments dated 1729 are known.
In an old Amati violin repaired by Bros. Mantegazza of Milan, in 1806, was found written at the base of the neck, “Revisto e corretto da me Girolamo, figlio di Niccolo Amati, Cremona, 1710.” Girolamo married Angiola Carettoni, 1678 ; his son Giuseppe, born 1684, did not become a violin maker.

Auction price history

£206,262

Biographies

John Dilworth

Willibald Leo Lütgendorff

Cecie Stainer

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