The name “Stradivari”, is perhaps the most single recognizable instrument maker in the world, a brand that for over three centuries epitomizes the pinnacle of perfection, rarity and desirability. Today, “Stradis” regularly command eight figure sums and the 600 known surviving violins are in constant demand from the ultra wealthy who collect them and the world-class performers that play them.
An innovator who handcrafted singular works of art over a lifetime of almost 94 years, Antonio Stradivari was centuries ahead of his time – his basic designs are still copied today from modern manufacturers. However very little has been told of his story, let alone the myriad tales of the lives of the individual instruments that bear his name.
A MAP OF HUMAN STORIES
The immense richness of the Thöne library lies not only in its technical prowess and peerless provenance, but what lies beneath the surface – a magnitude of stories, stunning in depth, color and sheer virtuosity.
Although the name Stradivari is instantly recognizable as a brand name globally, it has completely escaped any significant media exploitation on either a dramatic or documentary basis in either film or television. The last major dramatic production dates back to the 1988 biographical film featuring Anthony Quinn in the main role.
The New Standard
Until recently, there has never been a single repository of all known material on these exclusive instruments. Jost Thöne set out to change that by creating the world’s most exhaustive compilation of information about each Stradivari in existence today. The latest feat culminated in the production of a 500 page monograph publication of the “Barjansky” Stradivari, with a production budget of over €500,000, and no expense spared in the provenance research or state of the art technology employed to illuminate every aspect of the instrument. As a result, a new reference standard has been created in the provenance of rare artworks.
