Welcome to week 6 of Six Weeks of Stradivarius! Over the past six weeks I have been drawing six of my favourite violins made by the master himself, Antonio Stradivari.
Lady Blunt -1721
In the sixth and last week of my series, I introduce the 1721 violin called 'Lady Blunt'. This name was given after one of its early owners, Lady Anne Blunt, and it has had various owners over the years.
The Lady Blunt is one of the two best-preserved Stradivarius violins in existence. It has survived, like the Messiah Stradivarius of 1716, in near-original condition, since it has resided mostly in the hands of collectors and seen little use. It was built on the PG form, being a mature golden period violin. The violin also retains its original neck. It has been played very rarely; Yehudi Menuhin played it in 1971, when the instrument was up for sale. In 2011 it was described as "the best-preserved Stradivarius to be offered for sale in the past century."
The drawing took 6 hours, with the majority of the focus on the decorative pegs and tailpiece. Since the instrument is in such pristine condition, it lacks 'interesting' antique characteristics, making the main task to ensure the body was as clean as possible.
Prints available here:
Comentários