Nicolas François Vuillaume
Encyclopedia
Nicholas François Vuillaume (1802 – 1876) was an important French Luthier
of the Vuillaume family, and younger brother of the illustrious Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume. He ran the leading workshop in Brussels, Belgium, was appointed instrument maker to the Royal Conservatory in Brussels, and his instruments won a number of medals at exhibitions.
, Vosges
in 1802, the fourth of five sons to Claude-François Vuillaume. The Vuillaume family had been luthiers in Mirecourt for several generations. Millant traces a family tree, identifying “for sure” a great-great-Grandfather Claude-Francois Vuillaume (born about 1700). There is a legendary ancestor, one Jean Vuillaume, who was supposedly a pupil of Stradivari, but this remains a legend, and perhaps was invented as a joke . Most of the Vuillaume family were destined to become instrument makers, the most famous being NFV’s elder brother, the second son Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume (JBV) who became perhaps France’s pre-eminent maker and dealer in stringed instruments .
From the start, J.B.Vuillaume was the boldest, most audacious and most business like of the family, moving to Paris at the age of 19, where he worked first in the workshops of François Chanot and Lete, and joining them in partnership before finally setting up his own . NFV, like his other siblings, joined his brother business in Paris, and initially made instruments that were labeled J B Vuillaume. While in Paris NFV quickly gained a fine reputation for producing outstanding instruments.
With an elder brother of the stature of J.B.Vuillaume, N.F.Vuillaume took perhaps the only course of action open to him in seeking to establish himself as a maker and dealer in his own right – he moved to set up his own establishment in Brussels
, Belgium (Millant gives this date as 1820, however 1830 seems more likely given the limited number of his named instruments dating from this period). Though he owned his own shop, NFV continued to make instruments for JBV, and as JBV’s business grew rapidly, NFV was his first choice for work . Examples attributed to NFV as late as 1857 imply that he continued to supply instruments to JBV in addition to those made in his brother’s substantial workshop. This convenient arrangement may explain that it took until the year 1833 for NFV to label the 41st instrument in his own name.
Over the next few years N.F.Vuillaume sold instruments in his own name at a rate of around 10 a year. Away from the shadow of his brother, NFV flourished and by 1836 had been appointed instrument maker to the Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels. NFV won a clutch of medals at various exhibitions [need ref] (including… the Medal de Vermeil in 1841, the Medal First Class at the Universal Exposition in Paris in 1855) and in 1873 was appointed Chevalier to the Order of Leopold . In terms of violin making, Belgium and the Vuillaume family is part of the French School, and for a time the two Vuillaume brothers were the pre-eminent figures in France and Belgium .
Over his working life, N.F.Vuillaume produced in excess of 340 instruments bearing his label, and an unknown number under his brother's label. Millant notes that in 1823, JBV started the unusual practice of numbering his instruments - and that Gand and Bernadel adopted the same practice, as did NFV . NFV’s instruments are typically branded or signed on the underside of the table with instrument number and date and labeled. In his earlier years he appears to have favoured instruments in the style of Giovanni Paolo Maggini
, while later on he moved more towards Stradivari models.
Initially he may have operated largely on his own, but as his workshop became established he employed a number of craftsmen who were top makers in their own right including three members of the Darche family – Charles Francois, Hilaire and Nicholas (who subsequently set up own shop in Aachen), also Jean Baptiste Collin-Mezin (prior to setting up his own establishment in Paris in 1867) .
N.F.Vuillaume operated as a dealer as well as maker and, though never approaching his brother’s legedary cache of Cremonese instruments, records on Cozio indicate that the Stradivari cello “General Kyd” (1684) was bought by N.F.Vuillaume in 1857, and the Matteo Grofriller cello “ex-Muller” (1710), and the “Cessole” Stradivari violin of 1715 also passed through his hands. The Hill brothers tell that after the death of JB Vuillaume in 1875, “Le Messie
” (The “Messiah”) Stradivari violin was offered to NFV for the price of 12,000 francs, but the offer was refused.
Before his death in 1876, N.F.Vuillaume’s business and title as “Luthier du Conservatorie Royal de Musique” Bruxelles had been taken on by Georges Mougenot. For a number of years afterwards, at least as late as 1885, instruments bearing NFV labels were still produced from his workshop.
Luthier
A luthier is someone who makes or repairs lutes and other string instruments. In the United States, the term is used interchangeably with a term for the specialty of each maker, such as violinmaker, guitar maker, lute maker, etc...
of the Vuillaume family, and younger brother of the illustrious Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume. He ran the leading workshop in Brussels, Belgium, was appointed instrument maker to the Royal Conservatory in Brussels, and his instruments won a number of medals at exhibitions.
Biography
Nicholas François Vuillaume (NFV) was born in MirecourtMirecourt
Mirecourt is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France. Mirecourt is known for lace-making and the manufacture of musical instruments, particularly those of the violin family...
, Vosges
Vosges
Vosges is a French department, named after the local mountain range. It contains the hometown of Joan of Arc, Domrémy.-History:The Vosges department is one of the original 83 departments of France, created on February 9, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was made of territories that had been...
in 1802, the fourth of five sons to Claude-François Vuillaume. The Vuillaume family had been luthiers in Mirecourt for several generations. Millant traces a family tree, identifying “for sure” a great-great-Grandfather Claude-Francois Vuillaume (born about 1700). There is a legendary ancestor, one Jean Vuillaume, who was supposedly a pupil of Stradivari, but this remains a legend, and perhaps was invented as a joke . Most of the Vuillaume family were destined to become instrument makers, the most famous being NFV’s elder brother, the second son Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume (JBV) who became perhaps France’s pre-eminent maker and dealer in stringed instruments .
From the start, J.B.Vuillaume was the boldest, most audacious and most business like of the family, moving to Paris at the age of 19, where he worked first in the workshops of François Chanot and Lete, and joining them in partnership before finally setting up his own . NFV, like his other siblings, joined his brother business in Paris, and initially made instruments that were labeled J B Vuillaume. While in Paris NFV quickly gained a fine reputation for producing outstanding instruments.
With an elder brother of the stature of J.B.Vuillaume, N.F.Vuillaume took perhaps the only course of action open to him in seeking to establish himself as a maker and dealer in his own right – he moved to set up his own establishment in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium (Millant gives this date as 1820, however 1830 seems more likely given the limited number of his named instruments dating from this period). Though he owned his own shop, NFV continued to make instruments for JBV, and as JBV’s business grew rapidly, NFV was his first choice for work . Examples attributed to NFV as late as 1857 imply that he continued to supply instruments to JBV in addition to those made in his brother’s substantial workshop. This convenient arrangement may explain that it took until the year 1833 for NFV to label the 41st instrument in his own name.
Over the next few years N.F.Vuillaume sold instruments in his own name at a rate of around 10 a year. Away from the shadow of his brother, NFV flourished and by 1836 had been appointed instrument maker to the Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels. NFV won a clutch of medals at various exhibitions [need ref] (including… the Medal de Vermeil in 1841, the Medal First Class at the Universal Exposition in Paris in 1855) and in 1873 was appointed Chevalier to the Order of Leopold . In terms of violin making, Belgium and the Vuillaume family is part of the French School, and for a time the two Vuillaume brothers were the pre-eminent figures in France and Belgium .
Over his working life, N.F.Vuillaume produced in excess of 340 instruments bearing his label, and an unknown number under his brother's label. Millant notes that in 1823, JBV started the unusual practice of numbering his instruments - and that Gand and Bernadel adopted the same practice, as did NFV . NFV’s instruments are typically branded or signed on the underside of the table with instrument number and date and labeled. In his earlier years he appears to have favoured instruments in the style of Giovanni Paolo Maggini
Giovanni Paolo Maggini
Giovanni Paolo Maggini , was a string maker born in Botticino , Italy. Maggini was a pupil of the most important violin maker of the Brescian school, Gasparo da Salò....
, while later on he moved more towards Stradivari models.
Initially he may have operated largely on his own, but as his workshop became established he employed a number of craftsmen who were top makers in their own right including three members of the Darche family – Charles Francois, Hilaire and Nicholas (who subsequently set up own shop in Aachen), also Jean Baptiste Collin-Mezin (prior to setting up his own establishment in Paris in 1867) .
N.F.Vuillaume operated as a dealer as well as maker and, though never approaching his brother’s legedary cache of Cremonese instruments, records on Cozio indicate that the Stradivari cello “General Kyd” (1684) was bought by N.F.Vuillaume in 1857, and the Matteo Grofriller cello “ex-Muller” (1710), and the “Cessole” Stradivari violin of 1715 also passed through his hands. The Hill brothers tell that after the death of JB Vuillaume in 1875, “Le Messie
Messiah Stradivarius
The Messiah-Salabue Stradivarius of 1716 is a violin made by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. It is considered to be the only Stradivarius in existence in as new state....
” (The “Messiah”) Stradivari violin was offered to NFV for the price of 12,000 francs, but the offer was refused.
Before his death in 1876, N.F.Vuillaume’s business and title as “Luthier du Conservatorie Royal de Musique” Bruxelles had been taken on by Georges Mougenot. For a number of years afterwards, at least as late as 1885, instruments bearing NFV labels were still produced from his workshop.