Johannes Theodorus Cuypers

In remembrance of the death of Johannes Theodorus Cuypers 200 years ago in 1808, the idea have arisen of giving an overview of its heritage in: `Johannes Theodorus Cuypers; photo historical overview a violin maker from The Hague’. The Hendrick Aerninck Foundation is preparing a publication about the well known but poorly documented Dutch violinmakers of the Cuypers family. This work is the first book that will give an exhaustive overview of the work of this boasted violinmaker and his sons. It will serve as an important source of information and inspiration for professional makers, traders and all those interested in Dutch violinmaking.

Of the approximately 20 up to 30 selected instruments, colour photograph of the front and the back of the instrument will appear on separate pages. Details of the scroll and the f-holes will be photographed of all instruments. Possibly the photographs of the front and the back of a number of particular instruments will appear on a separate page for better detail. Of each instrument a description is also given with indication of the most important data.

The number of text pages amounts to approximately 25. The table of contents, the introduction, the interview and the biography will all appear on separate pages in two languages, Dutch and English. The descriptions of the instruments will also appear bilingual and on the same page. The book will be concluded with a vast bibliography.

By writing the book in two languages (Dutch and English), the effective market for the project will be considerably increased. Violinmakers, traders and the large expertise houses around the world always use photograph for the descriptions and the identification of stringed instruments. As yet the required sources have been restricted to the black and white photograph from the two existing work concerning Dutch violinmaking and the scarce photograph of Cuypers’ instruments in the catalogues of international auction houses such as Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams, Bongartz or Skinner. The increasing number of violinmakers and the internalisation of the trade in stringed instruments will enlarge the desire for such a book.

Not only the makers, traders and an extensive crowd of international lovers of Cuypers’ instruments, but certainly musicians who play on Dutch instruments will be interested.

Contents of the book

Introduction:

The introduction gives an impression of the time in which the family Cuypers worked and their influence upon Dutch violinmaking.

Biographies of Johannes Theodorus Cuypers and his sons Johannes Franciscus and Johannes Bernardus:

The biographies of the three members of the Cuypers’s family will be illustrated with historical material from the municipality archives of The Hague (such as birth -, baptism - and marriage certificates), photograph of the city of The Hague and objects of several Dutch museums. As two of his sons, Johannes Franciscus and Johannes Bernardus have continued the work of their father, attention will also be given to their work.

Interview with players, connoisseurs, administrators and collectors:

Will the biographies give a historical picture of the members of the Cuypers family, the interviews with players of Cuypers’ instruments, people concerned and lovers of their instruments place the instruments in their current perspective. They will show what role the Cuypers’ instruments still play nowadays.

Photographs of the instruments:

Of all the three violinmakers, photograph of their instruments will be taken. Because Johannes was Theodorus Cuypers still is by far the most important maker of this family, the emphasis in this publication will lie on this member of the Cuypers’ family.

Bibliography:

A extensive bibliography complements this work concerning the Cuypers’ family.

Johannes Theodorus Cuypers

Johannes Theodorus Cuypers (1724-1808), born in the German city of Dornick in 1724, started as a furniture maker. He moved later to France, where he probably learned the profession of violinmaking at the workshops of the French makers Guersan or Benoist-Fleury. Just around 1750 his name emerges in files in The Hague. From this time on he lived and worked his further life, up to its dead in 1808, in The Hague. He has been buried on ’Eik en Duinen’. Although the author Willibald Leo F. von Lütgendorff , describes a label from 1720 in his work: Die Geigen - und Lautenmacher vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart, no instruments of this early period are known.

Johannes Franciscus Cuypers

The oldest son of Johannes Theodorus Cuypers, Johannes Franciscus (1766-1828), was born in The Hague. He went to Amsterdam on his 17th birthday and stayed there for a large part of its life. In this period however he still worked for its father. In 1723, he moved with his wife to the small estate ‘Hofje van Nieuwkoop’ in The Hague. Although Johannes Franciscus is still mentioned as a book printer in the municipal archives, he has made a considerable number of instruments.

Johannes Bernardus Cyupers

The youngest son, Johannes Bernardus (1781-1840), worked his whole life in The Hague. His instruments are rather rare. Johannes Franciscus II (1809 – 1881), son of Johannes Bernardus Cuypers and initially a violinmaker, applied himself in 1839 to the making of pianos.

The photographs

Of the selected instruments two colour photographs will be published in the book of the front of the instrument and of the back. Details of the scroll and the f-holes will be photographed of all instruments. Possibly the photographs of the front and the back of a number of particular instruments will appear on a separate page for better detail.

All photographs will be taken with a technical camera on 4x5 inch slide film material.

Hendrick Aerninck Foundation

The Hendrick Aerninck Foundation, named after the Dutch violinmaker from Leiden Hendrick Aerninck (1649 -1708), has been founded to promote knowledge of, the interest in and appreciation for the Dutch violinmaking, Especially the conveyance of the collected information to everyone interested in the Dutch school of violinmaking and the insight of the significance of this school prevail. Important is the development of an extensive archive about Dutch stringed instruments.

Goals:

  1. to promote the knowledge of, the interest in and appreciation for Dutch violinmaking;
  2. to stimulate, facilitate and support the research into Dutch violinmaking;
  3. and moreover everything that can further the above mentioned goals.

Realisation:

  1. the collection of textual, visual- and auditive information about Dutch violinmaking;
  2. to arrange and maintain a (digital) expertise-centre;
  3. to promote the work of old and modern Dutch violinmakers by means of publications and distributions of books and articles;
  4. to stimulate researchers, by means of moral and if possible material support;
  5. to search co-operation with other corporations and/or organisations and/or persons who can contribute to the realisation of the goals of the foundation;
  6. and any other activity that can support the goals of the foundation.

The foundation realises her goals without pursuit of gain.

The Hendrick Aerninck Foundation does not have the required financial resources to be able realize the project financially. Because of the unfamiliarity with the subject, the relatively small market and high costs for this type of publication, editors are rather apprehensive of such a project. For this reason several funds will be contacted for a publication subsidy. Financial subsidies are requested for the general costs. Also specific private corporations will be approached for subsidies in the form of goods and/or services.

To complete the project successfully, an intensive cooperation with several individual makers, traders, administrators of museum collections and several institutes is necessary. This cooperation aims in the first place the collecting of information on the ' whereabouts ' of the many instruments and obtaining authorisation to incorporate these instruments in the publication.