Nicolas Lupot

Paris, France circa 1820

IU CATALOG NUMBER 28

Born in Stuttgart in 1758 and learned the art of violin making in Orleans with his father Francois. In 1794 he moved to Paris were he was appointed violin maker to the king in 1815, and to the conservatoire in 1816. This post required him to make instruments on demand for the first prize winners at the conservatoire at the request of Gaviniés. King Louis XVIII ordered him to make an orchestra of stringed instruments embellished with arms of France. His death in 1824 prevented him from completing the replacement of all instruments in the Royal Orchestra with those of his own making. Known as “The French Stradivarius” he is recognized as the greatest of all French makers. His style was modeled after the patterns of Stradivarius whom he copied to the smallest detail. Very few of his instruments were modeled after Gaurnerius and Amati.