JOSEPH ARTHUR VIGNERON PERE, THE CROSSINGThe change of style and mechanic introduced in the mid-50s of the nineteenth century by Francois Nicolas Voirin was indeed a real revolution in which only a few managed to not be involved , Joseph Arthur Vigneron Pére was one of these!
Violin bow Joseph Arthur Vigneron Pére Born in Mirecourt on July 30, 1851, by Pierre Dominique Vigneron, baker, and Jeanne Louise Collin, Arthur begins the job at a very young age in his hometown. He marries the first time in '71 with Jeanne Marguerite Hector, who had some distant kinship with J.B. Vuillaume. After his first wife's death in 1874, he marries a second time with Marie- Thérèse Lhuillier in March '75. By this union two daughters , Jeanne and Marthe, and a son André, will be born, the latter will become a bowmaker and will go on in the business after his father's death. After '72 his really lucky period starts , at least concerning about his work. A Great bowmaker , the only one that managed to escape Voirin's enchanting sirens , despite having attended him personally, he take him to work together . The Big we are speaking about is Jean Joseph Martin, who, as you will remember, even if he had worked with Voirin, in the laboratory with Vuillaume, a litttle due to his character and school, remember that he started with Maline, which in turn was formed by Etienne Pajeot, remains faithful to the old school. In the laboratory he becomes a real bowmaker , strengthening is hand and refining his style, and when he goes out in 1880, due to force majeure, failure of the company, is now a complete and refined a craftsman. In 1880 he leaves for Paris and, at least for the first few years, he works at the Maison Gand & Bernardel then in 1888 he opens his own business at 54, Rue de Cléry in Paris. In these years, in addition to working at crazy rythms , a nephew, Charles Enel, tells that his uncle was able to build a bow a day, he also devotes time tothe research and with the consultancy of the teacher at Lucien Capet Conservatory, he develops a bow with a the triangular section called "Modèle Lucien Capet." More than an innovation, it sounded like a commercial gimmick . The idea of the triangular section had already been introduced by Dominique Peccatte, which tended to do in this way the last few inches of the stick of a violin bow. And he did it because the old curves, being more central and prominent than the modern ones , tend to wave on their side. But, if at that point this trick can be useful, building a whole stick in such a way may become damaging because it causes inclination changes of the bowhair on the string to become less fluid. At the end of 1800 he was joined by his son, with whom he will build many bows . He dies on June 13, 1905 at his home in Paris.
Mechanically Vigneron Pére has never departed from the old style: his curves remained close to Martin's school , and like this latter, he has had the problem of combining the new stylistic taste, very triangular just because of the modern curve, with squared profiles required by the old one. But while Martin playing with bevels, wedges and shoes, creates an entirely alternative way to Voirin (see - J.J. MARTIN: THE LAST GREAT ONE ), Vigneron tries for a lifetime to put old heads into modern mechanics, and, sometimes, the results are not that excellent. Even if this is not the case, also the frogs are widely inspired by the antique style, with the big ring , the low thickness of the blade and generally short. The collar of the button is double, the first one broad and flat while the second is very thin. In my opinion, he remains the last good bowmaker working in Paris using ancient mechanics, his son will take other paths , and leaves behind him a considerable amount of fine bows, considering the years he has worked. So long. Paolo
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