The evolution of the violin bow in the 18th century: a process of adaptation and creativity

Begoña Hernández Gallardo

About this exposition

The violin bow has undergone many changes since its creation, from its first shape, similar to a hunting bow, to the tool that violinists use nowadays. Despite its long history, most of the modifications that were made to the bow happened in the 18th century, especially in the second half, until its characteristics became standardized with the model developed by the French bowmaker François-Xavier Tourte at the end of this century. This Research Exposition looks back at the history of the bow, from the short bows of the late 17th century to the longer and heavier Tourte model, with the intention of understanding its evolution and the historical and musical context that motivated it. I sought to enrich my artistic perspective by conducting a literature review of the relevant secondary sources, together with interviews with historically informed bowmakers, and my own use of copies of 18th century bows. The evolution of the bow has not been a race to reach perfection but a journey of adaptation and creation, in which every bow can be seen as being perfectly valid to perform the music of its own time. Considering the journey that the bow has had, never failing to adapt to the musical environment, this project will also reflect on the fact that the bow has not changed in a very significant way since the Tourte model, despite music and the ideal of sound has changed a lot since the 18th century.

type	research exposition
keywords	bow, bow making, 18th century, Tourte
date	16/02/2023
published	19/07/2023
last modified	19/07/2023
status	limited publication
share status	private
copyright	Begoña Hernández Gallardo
license	CC BY-NC-ND
language	British English
url	https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/1954070/1954071
published in	KC Research Portal
portal issue	3. Internal publication

name	Leopold Mozart and his children - watercolour probably 1763-4 by Louis Carrogis de Carmontelle - London, British Museum
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Captura de pantalla (105)
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	domenico-gabbiani-the-musicians-of-prince-ferdinando-de-medici-c1685-domenico-gabbiani
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	arco de caza cambridge dictionary
copyright	Cambridge Dictionary
license	Public domain
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name	Angel playing a rebec, detail from Virgin among Virgins, Gerard David, ca. 1509, Museé de beaux arts de Rouen
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Tabla de Fétis, p. 116 y 117 antoine stradivari luthier celebre
copyright	David Boyden
license	Public domain
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name	Tabla Woldemar Seletsky
copyright	Robert Seletsky
license	Public domain
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name	Duchaine firmado, les archets français después de p. 228, foto 4
copyright	Etienne Vatelot
license	Public domain
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name	IMG_20230221_004601
copyright	David Boyden
license	Public domain
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name	Snakewood bow
copyright	Richard Gwilt
license	Public domain
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name	Ilustraciones pike-head y swan-bill head st george p 35
copyright	Henry St George
license	Public domain
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name	santa-cecilia-guido-reni
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Arco con con curva añadida en la punta, pdf evolución arco pág 33
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	clip in frog stephen marvin pág web que pasó walter
copyright	Stephen Marvin
license	Public domain
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name	Captura de pantalla (87)
copyright	Richard Gwilt
license	Public domain
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name	crémaillère seletsky 288
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	mecanismo clip in bow st george 31
copyright	Henry St George
license	Public domain
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name	mecanismo tornillo arco moderno the strad
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Violin-viola bow of beechwood, Germany ca. 1790-1820. Pdf german bows p. 4
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Meauchand bow, flat frog attachment, marvin web page
copyright	Stephen Marvin
license	Public domain
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name	Dario Castello Sonata Prima (Venice, 1629); Elizabeth Blumenstock with Voices of Music
copyright	Voices of Music
license	Public domain
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name	Élisabeth-Claude Jacquet de La Guerre, Violin sonata n.1 d moll, Daria Spiridonova
copyright	Daria Spiridinova
license	Public domain
usages	video

name	fluted bow tourte father, tarisio nicholas pierre tourte
copyright	Tarisio
license	Public domain
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name	IMG-20221105-WA0022
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	IMG_20230221_130924 (1)
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	arco mozart violinschule p 76
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Leopold Mozart and his children - watercolour probably 1763-4 by Louis Carrogis de Carmontelle - London, British Museum
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
usages	picture

name	Captura de pantalla (90)
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
usages	picture

name	Captura de pantalla (91)
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	IMG_20230220_191327
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
usages	picture

name	Captura de pantalla (92)
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	IMG_20230220_201248
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Hole in the nut to attach the hair, tarisio L'archet révolutionnaire
copyright	Tarisio
license	Public domain
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name	IMG_20230202_132842
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	IMG_20230202_132626
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	IMG_20230202_132528
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	IMG_20230202_132721
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Captura de pantalla (93)
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
usages	picture

name	Captura de pantalla (94)
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Captura de pantalla (73)
copyright	Tarisio
license	Public domain
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name	Captura de pantalla (74)
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Cramer bow John Dodd bridgewood and neitzert (2)
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Captura de pantalla (101)
copyright	Tarisio
license	Public domain
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name	Cramer with un poquito de bow
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	duchaine cramer bow
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Dodd bow stamped Forster, Dodd Tarisio
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Captura de pantalla (95)
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	unfluted pernambuco bow nicholas pierre tourte Tarisio nicholas pierre
copyright	Tarisio
license	Public domain
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name	IMG_20230220_210158
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Captura de pantalla (96)
copyright	Tarisio
license	Public domain
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name	Captura de pantalla (97)
copyright	Tarisio
license	Public domain
usages	picture

name	Captura de pantalla (72)
copyright	Tarisio
license	Public domain
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name	Captura de pantalla (73)
copyright	Tarisio
license	Public domain
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name	Arco francés 1780 con cuerdecita l'archet vol 1 p 206
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	A Tourte bow made by François Xavier, les archets français p 919
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Tabla de Fétis, p. 116 y 117 antoine stradivari luthier celebre
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Tabla Woldemar Seletsky
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Arco lefèvre entre 1763 y 1789 les archets français volumen 1 p. 540
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Captura de pantalla (99)
copyright	Tarisio
license	Public domain
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name	Captura de pantalla (100)
copyright	Tarisio
license	Public domain
usages	picture

name	Captura de pantalla (104)
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Captura de pantalla (103)
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Grand-Adam bow p. 54 les archets français primera parte
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Lupot metal piece Tarisio lupot II
copyright	Tarisio
license	Public domain
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name	Emil Telmanyi playing Bachs Chaconne by Vega bow
copyright	Emil Telmanyi
license	Public domain
usages	video

name	tip vega bow
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	frog vega bow
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Captura de pantalla (98)
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Baillot, Quadruple Stops for One Violin, Adagio (1834), Anna McMichael, violin
copyright	Anna McMichael
license	Public domain
usages	video

name	vuillaume fixed frog roda 54
copyright	Joseph Roda
license	Public domain
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name	Captura de pantalla (102)
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
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name	Captura de pantalla (57)
copyright	Begoña Hernández
license	Public domain
usages	picture

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The evolution of the violin bow in the 18th century: a process of adaptation and creativity (2023)

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