Stradivari Violin

Timeline

1. c. 1666–1680Cremona · CremonaStradivari opened his shop in Cremona; his models still resembled the Amati system: shorter bodies with higher arching. In the 1680s output and independence rose, and the workshop became one of the city's violin-making centers alongside Guarneri and Amati. Early instruments already showed his continuing experiments with templates, arching, and varnish layers.
2. 1690–1699Cremona · CremonaIn the 1690s he lengthened the body and adjusted the proportions of the upper and lower ribs, known historically as the 'long Stradivari'. This experiment sought greater volume but also exposed the cost of an overly long body to tonal balance. A decade of experimentation provided a contrast for the more compact and stable templates of the subsequent golden period.
3. 1700–1720Cremona · CremonaInstruments from 1700–1720 are widely regarded as his peak: the body returned to a more moderate length, arching, f-holes, and varnish worked together stably, and the sound combined power with color. Family members such as Francesco and Omobono participated in production. The workshop continued to produce instruments until his death in 1737, but the golden period templates became the standard for later copies.
4. 1737Cremona and European and American collecting networks · EuropeIn the 19th century, dealers such as the Hill family established traditions of authentication; institutions like the Smithsonian collected famous instruments such as the 'Servais' cello. Numerous 19th-century imitation labels made 'Stradivarius' both a proper name for genuine instruments and a generic term for cheap models. Originals are still used in concerts and continue to influence contemporary instrument-making geometry.