VICTOR FRANCOIS FETIQUE; THE WEAK

Victor had everything: excellent hand, initiative, stylistic taste. Victor missed nothing but a strong heart !

Violin bow Victor Fetique

He was born in Mirecourt on August 9, 1872 by Charles Claude Fétique, bowmaker and Anne Joséphine Barbé and, as customary at those times, already at a young age he begins to attend some workshops of his town.

The first rudiments are given him by a component of the Husson family, Charles Claude, Charles Nicolas' son. Later on he will improve his style with Fournier Maline and Emile Miquel, while in his latest training period, he attends Charles Nicolas Bazin's workshop, and he will try to imitate this author in his early production.

On September 26, 1896, he marries Jeanne Madaleine Meyer. The couple gives birth to one son only, Marcel Gaston, who will become a bowmaker as well and will assist his father until his death.

In 1901 he moves to Paris to work by Caressa & Francais, staying there for the next twelve years. This long staying and the closeness to Claude Thomassin, who at that time was working in the same workshop, gives him the time to totally define his style.

In 1913 he opens his business at Rue Myrha in Paris, at the beginning the work has a difficulty to start and he is compelled to build some students bows mounted in alpacca.

From '15 onwards business starts to go well but after few years Victor's heart is seriously affected.

From '21, serious problems begin. He cannot keep the working rythm anymore and to fulfill pressing orders, he is compelled to buy bows from the close Mirecourt. Until 1926, many works for him such as Auguste Thomassin, Claude Rémi, Louis Morizot.

He lets bows to be sent to him, he retouches them a little bit and then they are stamped with his own name.

The quality level of his production suffers a physiological decrease. The bows made for him are of a good quality but they do not reach his refined level.

In 1927 Victor's nephew André Richaume, comes to the workshop and with his help, the level of his uncle's bow increases again .

On January 9, 1933 after at least fifteen years of his disease, Victor Francois Fetique's heart stops.

The style

It is difficult to define the style of a craftsman who worked for such a short time. As already told, his productions consists mainly of two parts.

His personal one is influenced by the two schools who shaped him. In his first period he is influenced by his Maestro Charles Nicolas Bazin, later on he will get closer to the Parisian taste of that time: Sartory-Lamy.

After the start of his health problems, also the bow quality is affected and has a sharp decrease. Those one made for him, follow his own stylistic shapes but not everybody has the same gifted hands and, as mentioned, the results are not always up to the expectations.

In the last period, thanks to the closeness with his nephew Andrè Richaume, excellent craftsman who will won an award as best "Ouvriers de France", his quality improves .

Andrè builds for his uncle beautiful bows, many mounted in tortoise and gold and He devotes his last years of his life to smooth the way for his descendant.

Victor Francois Fetique worked for :

Caressa & Francais, Chanot & Chardon, J.B.L. Corolla (stamped Nadegini), Paul Jombar, Maucotel & Dechamp, Alfred Vidoudez in Geneva.

So long.

Paolo