Riccardo Antoniazzi (1853-1912) was born in Cremona, the sixth son of Gaetano; Riccardo and his younger brother Romeo (1862-1925) inherited their father’s trade together, and became the second generation of violinmakers in the Antoniazzi family. Riccardo was very versatile and considered as the best maker of the family. He was also a musician and a great tutor, with a handful of apprentices.
Riccardo was a quick hand in violinmaking, but never lacking in elaboration and personal style. His career of violinmaking can be divided into three stages. The first stage is before 1887, when Riccardo was under his father’s instructions, whose influences can be clearly seen from his works.
The second stage is from 1888 to 1904, this is the peak of his career. His personal styles became clearer and also collaborated with Leandro Bisiach (1864-1945) with whom they shared experiences and inspired each other; the violins made during this period are most highly praised. It is a pity that most of the violins made in this period are not labeled.
The third stage is after 1904, when Riccardo worked for the firm of Monzino & Sons, He investigated the masterpieces of Stradivari and Guarneri and established his personal model. On November 10th 1912, Riccardo died in Milan.
This well-preserved violin was made for Monzino & Sons during his third stage. Riccardo chose poplar for the back. The edges are characterized with deep channelling so as to avoid the body from being too heavy; the volutes around the eyes of the scroll are deeply cut, both are typical Milanese style. The scroll is broad and massive, making the violin even more magnificent.
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