Prior to this week, a certain near-300-year-old violin had held the illustrious title of 'most expensive violin in the world' for over a decade. But that's all changed now.
It was back in 2013 when the 1741 ‘Vieuxtemps’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ took on the record for the world's most expensive violin when it was sold for a sum said to exceed $16 million (£10.5 million) in 2013, to an undisclosed private buyer. The ‘Vieuxtemps’ remains on lifetime loan to the American violinist Anne Akiko Meyers.
That instrument got its name after it was owned by the Belgian 19th century violinist and composer Henri Vieuxtemps. The 'Vieuxtemps' Guarneri was later used by some of the world's greatest violinists, including Eugène Ysaÿe, Yehudi Menuhin, Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman.
That instrument replaced, at the top of the priceless violin charts, another Guarneri violin. The 'Kochanski', named after the great Polish violinist who helped Szymanowski and Prokofiev compose some of their great violin masterpieces, fetched $10m (£7m) when it sold in October 2009.
And the world's most expensive violin is...
Now, though, there's a different instrument - by a different, even more famous violin maker - at the top of the table. The 1715 ‘Baron Knoop’ violin by the legendary luthier Antonio Stradivari has been sold for a record-breaking $23 million (£17.8 million) to an anonymous buyer, making it the most expensive violin ever purchased.
The ‘Baron Knoop’ features a striking two-piece maple back, adorned with a broad, elegantly marked figure that subtly descends from the center joint. The top is crafted from two pieces of spruce, while the ribs and scroll are made from matching wood. Notably, the scroll chamfers still preserve Stradivari’s signature black edging, a testament to the instrument’s remarkable craftsmanship.
The 'Baron Knoop' was previously owned by the American collector David L. Fulton, who acquired the instrument in February 1992 for $2.75 million. Here is the Canadian violinist James Ehnes performing Bruch's Scottish Fantasy on the instrument.
While Fulton’s renowned collection once included 27 exceptional instruments, most have now been sold, with the remaining pieces—such as a 1793 Guadagnini viola and an 1898 Voller Brothers copy of the 1735 ‘d’Egville’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ - becoming part of the David and Amy Fulton Foundation.
When Fulton first acquired the ‘Baron Knoop’, it was covered in French polish and an unsightly varnish retouch, leaving the instrument coated in a deep orange-red varnish. Master restorer John Becker spent three months meticulously removing the layers of additions, revealing Stradivari’s original rich varnish beneath.
