Leon Bernardel II Workshop Violin, 1936., France.

Parisian native Léon Bernardel (1853 – 1931) studied violin making with his father, Ernest August Bernardel and worked under the tutorlage of Justin Derazey in Mirecourt before returning home to join the family firm, Gand & Bernardel. He opened his own workshop in 1900 with his son Leon Bernardel II as partner and shop foreman, producing numerous instruments of fine quality and supplying professional orchestras, conservatories, and other members of the trade. He was also Artistic Director of Cousenon & Co from 1913-1921.

This clean Mirecourt violin is attributed to Leon Bernardel but dated 1936, some five years after his death. The details and craftsmanship suggest it was made by Leon Bernardel II but Jean Cousenon who also succeeded his own father in 1931 bought the right to Leon Bernardel’s name in 1933, using it as a trade name until 1948. However, those instruments generally followed other modeling and varied more wildly in quality, making Bernardel workshop under the direction of Leon Bernardel II a safe attribution. In a fine state of preservation with a punchy, flexible sound of ample depth and color, with high quality hollowed out tailpiece, titanium tailgut and tuner, and it’s original pegs, dressed fingerboard, three-tree Desipiau bridge and Evah Pirazzi strings.