The illustrious Vuillaume dynasty of luthiers began in Nancy and Mirecourt, France in the early 17th century with lute maker Claude Vuillaume (fl. c. 1625). The family's reputation grew over several generations, culminating with the exceptional career of Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume (1798-1875), the renowned maker, restorer, and dealer who established in Paris one of the most important violin workshops in history.
The violin offered here was made by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume's father, Claude François Vuillaume IV (1772-1834), who taught violin making to his four sons in Mirecourt, as learned from his own father, Charles François Vuillaume II (1752-1798).
