Nicolò Amati

Overview

Nicolò Amati, grandson of Andrea Amati, is the maker through whom the Cremonese tradition reached its next generation. He is credited with developing the grand pattern violin, larger and more powerful than earlier models, and his workshop is traditionally described as the training ground of both Andrea Guarneri and Antonio Stradivari, though documentary proof of the apprenticeships is lacking.

Life and work

He worked in Cremona throughout his long life, from the early seventeenth century until his death in 1684, and was the leading maker of the city for most of that time. He died in his late eighties, by which point the shop had already shaped the course of Cremonese making.

Workshop and location

Cremona, Italy. Pupils and assistants passed through the shop, and instruments leaving it in the same years can differ sharply in quality, which is usually read as the work of different hands under one name.

School and style

Cremonese school at the point where the early, smaller Amati model was enlarged into the grand pattern. The work is refined and symmetrical, with high, carefully cut arching, pale-to-golden varnish and a tone usually described as sweet rather than powerful.

Labels and brands

Labels in the Latin form with the date are usual, and because the name is revered it was reused on instruments from many later shops. The label alone cannot date or identify an instrument.

Instruments in the market

Instruments of the grand pattern from the mid-seventeenth century are the most sought after, and cellos of his making are especially prized. As with all important Cremonese work, provenance and expert opinion carry the weight.

Authentication notes

Look for consistency between the outline, the arching, the scroll and the wood, and expect a certificate from a recognised authority; many later Cremonese and non-Italian instruments have been given his label. This page is reference material and is not an authentication.