Poster Guarneri del Gesù violin "Vieuxtemps" 1741

Currently the most expensive violin in the world, the 1741 ‘Vieuxtemps’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ was sold in 2012 for a sum in excess of $16 million. It has been given on lifetime loan to US violinist Anne Akiko Meyers. Among its illustrious former players was Henri Vieuxtemps; at his funeral it was carried behind the hearse on a velvet cushion, by fellow violinist Eugène Ysaÿe.

As well as full measurements, the back of this poster contains detailed CT scans, thickness maps and actual-size cross-sections of the archings. The violin still remains in a remarkable state of preservation, especially considering it has been in use for most of its life.

‘The violin has a colossal range. I found I could play the entire repertoire, from Vivaldi to Sibelius to modern works, just on this one violin. It feels as though there’s colour in my fingertips‘

Anne Akiko Meyers in the June 2018 edition of The Strad

Measurements 84cm x 68cm