Violin, Giovanni Paolo Maggini, c. 1610

wood (plant material), h 61cm × w 21.5cm × d 3.5cm More details

From 1550, many important violin makers were active in Northern Italy, especially in Brescia and Cremona. Some of the instruments they made were also imported to the Netherlands. In the early 17th century, the violin became the most characteristic virtuoso instrument for concerts. Yet it was also played at dances, and in informal domestic settings by male amateur performers, who belonged to the lower social strata.