A Beautiful French Violin by Charles Bailly, 1940

Charles Bailly (1879-1957) was born to a saddle maker and coach-builder in Vosges, France, and bore no relation to the esteemed and prolific artisan, Paul Bailly, nor his daughter, Jenny. However, Charles Bailly worked for George Lotte, Paul Mangenot, Marc Laberte, and Claude Francois Humbert before establishing his own workshop in 1909. Albert Dieudonne (father of Amadee) and Eugene Guinot were known collaborators in the workshop. Pseudonyms for off-brand labels included Marcus Mathieu, and Marcelin. The Charles Bailly workshop was synonymous with quality, rendering artistic and well defined craftsmanship, a successful personal model, and attention to every detail from the mitres of the purfling to the selection of premium tonewoods, and shading of the highly transparent, luminous varnish. This fine, highly characteristic example from 1940 is a testament to his reputation, workmanship, and concept of sound, readily delivering a voice that at once delivers a sweet silky quality and a commanding presence, powerful with a pleasing balance between flexibility and resistance.