For Subscribers

In Focus: A 1718 violin by Francesco Gobetti

2026-06-12T08:38:03.183

Front and back full

Michel Samson on the Italian maker’s late-period instrument

In the violin literature, the work of Venetian luthier Francesco Gobetti has been mentioned favourably: in their respective volumes on Italian violin making, Fridolin and Walter Hamma rate his instruments’ value alongside those of Montagnana and Carlo Bergonzi. Yet Gobetti’s output was relatively small; Charles Beare noted, ‘I doubt if I have seen 25 in almost 40 years, the earliest of them dated 1711 and the latest 1718.’…

Already subscribed? Please sign in

Subscribe to continue reading…

We’re delighted that you are enjoying our website. For a limited period, you can try an online subscription to The Strad completely free of charge.

  • Free 7-day trial

    Not sure about subscribing? Sign up now to read this article in full and you’ll also receive unlimited access to premium online content, including the digital edition and online archive for 7 days.

    Free trial

    No strings attached – we won’t ask for your card details

  • Subscribe 

    No more paywalls. To enjoy the best in-depth features and analysis from The Strad’s latest and past issues, upgrade to a subscription now. You’ll also enjoy regular issues and special supplements* and access to an online archive of issues back to 2010.

    Subscribe

 

* Issues and supplements are available as both print and digital editions. Online subscribers will only receive access to the digital versions.