Reference Guide 

The Lyons-born Jaques Bocquay is without a doubt one of the best early eighteenth century makers outside Italy, and all too rarely encountered beyond his French homeland. His is a totally distinctive style, executed with care and precision, and well-informed by the makers of Cremona. But having said that, even he comes off second-best to his contemporary Claude Pierray, that other frequently-overlooked maker of the old Parisian school. The two werec ontemporary, working in the first half of the eighteen the century,and in close proximity, Pierray in the Rue des Fosses Saint-Germain, and Bocquay on the Rue d’Argentuil, off the rue St Honore in Paris.

Both used a very recognisable outline form, which has prominent ‘hips’ in the upper and lower bouts, where the convex curve of the bout meets the concave turn of the corner. It would seem to be a result of the initial drawing of the form, and would imply the use of compasses and geometrical procedures in the design of the instruments.

This violin is dated 1722, and of superior craftsmanship. Some of his instruments show a certain coarseness of finish, but are invariably well-assembled. It is typically slightly oversized, at 360mm across the back and with a stop length of 199mm- a characteristic which was to stay with French makers in general, and most obviously by the more commercial makers of Mirecourt in the nineteenth century. The interior work has been remade, but the non-Cremonese construction method can be deduced from the long rib corners which are centrally jointed, rather than the overlapping mitre characteristic of the Cremonese internal mould. No pins are evident in the upper and lower blocks, and the purfling appears to be a triple layer of poplar wood,with the outer veneers dyed with a rather fugitive black stain.

The arching is quite high and Amatise, but with a slight pinched appearance on the front. The broadly cut and strikingly Stradivari-like soundholes are wide-set and upright, again very characteristic of the maker. His attention to detail is revealed in the lightly-fluted lower wings of the F, and the beautifully rounded edge, meeting in very gracefully proportioned corners. 

The scroll is equally well wrought, with a precise circularity and delicate proportion. The volutes are carved with a deep undercut, worked with a sharp downward stroke which flattens at the base of the spiral,producing a very neat and distinctive form.

Best of all is the richly textured soft brown varnish which covers the instrument. It seems to be slightly chippy and dry oil recipe with quite substantial thickness and rich, warm colouration. The wood it covers is less distinguished, the top coming from heavily-grained pine, which would not seem share its origin with that of contemporary Italian instruments. The one piece quarter-sawn back has a modest flame, and may also have been locally sourced.

The most striking thing about these ‘vieux Paris’ instruments is actually how closely they mimic Cremonese originals, despite the quirks of construction and finish that make them so readily identifiable. They follow all the Italian conventions of proportion and model, and the conscientious fluting of the relatively broad F hole wings indicate a familiarity with the changing fashions introduced by Stradivari over the preceeding decades. Only the more conservative Amati-like arching betrays a more provincial note (anywhere outside the confines of Lombardy and the Veneto being ‘provincial’ in the geography of violin making- even Paris in the eighteenth century). Bocquay, Pierray and their colleagues in Paris were obviously highly proficient artisans with a wealthy clientele to cater for, and a rich source of inspiration to tap into.

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