In Focus: an 1859 violin by Nicolas-François Vuillaume

Nicolas-François Vuillaume was four years younger than his more famous brother, Jean-Baptiste. The son of violin maker Claude-François Vuillaume, he was born on 13 May 1802 in Mirecourt, where he learnt his craft. He joined his brother in Paris on 24 August 1824, where he became his first assistant. However, just four years later he and his sister Elisabeth left Paris and he opened his own workshop in Brussels, where he spent the rest of his career.

He was very active in Belgium as both a maker and an instrument dealer. He loved to travel – professionally and privately – and was financially successful. Like his brother in Paris, he invested in real estate; he maintained a close personal and professional relationship with Jean-Baptiste throughout his lifetime…