The Charles Gaillard violin owned by OP Ryhmän Taidesäätiö sr (OP Art Foundation) was made in Paris in 1867. The instrument was acquired for OP Art Foundation’s collection in 1994.
Most people are likely to associate the name Gaillard with Claude Ferdinand Gaillard (1834–1887), a painter and copperplate master who was born and died in Paris. In the history of stringed instrument making, a master of similar calibre was Charles Gaillard, who was born in Mirecourt in northeastern France. Gaillard left Mirecourt for Paris, although the town is still known even today for making stringed and mechanical instruments. In Paris, Charles became the apprentice of Charles-Adolphe Gand. Many members of the Gand family, who also had connections with Mirecourt, were prominent instrument makers. The Gands played a significant role in introducing the Italian, “Stradivarian” instrument-making traditions and designs to France.
In violin literature, Gaillard’s work is often described with superlatives: “The curves and the scroll are really superb.” The design is bold but never excessively so. The sound holes are immaculately proportioned; cleanly cut and relatively vertical, they seem quite wide. Every detail represents extremely high quality handiwork.
OP Art Foundation’s Gaillard is currently played by Sanni Talvitie.
