Original Faked Image of Nicolò Paganini 1782-1840, the Great Violinist Full Standing Playing the Violin
Niccolò (or Nicolò) Paganini (27 October 1782 - 27 May 1840) was an Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer. He was the most celebrated violin virtuoso of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique. [Arthur M. Abell (1868-1958) lived in Europe from 1890 to 1918. Starting in 1893 he was a Berlin correspondent for the Musical Courier. After the War he returned to New York and wrote for the New York Times and other outlets]. Giuseppe Fiorini (1861-1934) was an Italian luthier and is considered one of the most important Italian violin makers. [Miss Geraldine de Courcy]. Leslie Sheppard.
(Book #ID 102702)
Although no photographs of Paganini are known to exist, in 1900 Italian violin maker Giuseppe Fiorini forged this now famous fake daguerreotype of the celebrated violinist. So well in fact, that even the great classical author and conversationalist Arthur M. Abell was led to believe it to be true, reprinting the image in the 22 January 1901 issue of the Musical Courier. In his 1979 biography of Paganini, Leslie Sheppard (and Herbert A. Axelrod) quoted Miss Geraldine de Courcy, 'One of Paganini's most competent biographers' her evaluation of the photograph: 'This picture is so obviously spurious that along with my research, I set forth to track it down with the following results: At the end of the nineties of the last century the violin maker Giuseppe Fiorini (who had removed from Bologna to Munich in the late seventies) was spending some time in Italy and in collaboration with a photographer in Venice, concocted the picture, took it back with him to Germany where he had it copyrighted in 1900 and sold it to a collector of Paganiniana. The picture eventually came into the Theatre Collection of Raymond Mander and Joe Mitchenson in London. When the publishing firm of Rockliff was preparing to bring out the English edition of the Farga book, they applied to this collection for a picture of Paganini and were given the one mentioned. To have accepted it unquestionably demonstrates the lack of judgement of the average person in taking too much for granted. Instead of Paganini's 'long slender hands' the picture gives us those of - to use a common expression - 'a butcher's hands.' The costume is obviously that of the late seventies, and the manner of displaying the medals equally so. In fact, Paganini only possessed three and among them there were none of the Cross of Saints Maurizie and Lazarre, which stands forth so prominently in the picture! As far as I have been able to ascertain the picture was only published once in Italy, early in 1915, that is, shortly after Fiorini's return for a visit after moving his business from Munich to Luzerne. The Italians have always sharply repudiated this picture and have refused to display it, even as a curiosity'. Framed in wood 14½'' x 8¾'', 'original' of this then widely acclaimed and publicised fake. Under left bottom it says: Eigenth.u Verl. v G. Fiorini, München, under right side: Heliogravüre Oberneffer, München, further down on left are some hand drawn music scores printed in Paganini style, to the right of scores his upward slanting signature 'Nicolò Paganini', under his signature and extending to right edge of inner frame is sharply and succinctly stamped into the lithograph paper: 'Copyright 1900' with direct under it: 'By G. Fiorini-München' (Giuseppe), then at bottom centre: Comm. Verl v Breitkopf u Härtel, Leipzig. The Heliogravüre photo is sepia, the print surround edges are distinctly pressed into the suitable paper within a plate marked impression and measure 23.7cm x 11.3cm with the outer margins of the print extending into the narrow, intact wooden frame which sit in glazed original plain flat oak frame, the overall outside measuring 36.7cm x 22.5cm. The reverse of the frame carries the stamp of an art business in Bern: 'Einrahmung-Geschaft, Bilder und Spiegel Handlung'. Bern, 11 Kramgasse 11. (Kramgasse is still the up-market shopping street in Bern). The ownership name is in large print at an angle and reads D. Thurni - a family name connected with Bern. The paper shows some foxing, but has retained its original creamy white colour and is not sun tanned. As we understand it, when the the nature of this Heliogravure was discovered the art world went into overdrive to trace and destroy all known copies sold. We have carefully removed the back which carries an indistinguishable German name in pencil along with a folded German newspaper cutting circa 1909. Member of the P.B.F.A.
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