Pietro Guarneri of Venice
Venice 1695 - 1762
Pietro Guarneri, the elder son of Giuseppe 'filius Andreae', should rightly have been first in line to inherit his father's shop in Cremona, but after 10 years of apprenticeship in the family business he left for Venice in 1717. Violin making in Cremona was at that time dominated almost exclusively by the Stradivari family, which made doing business more difficult for the Guarneris, and Pietro found job security in Venice, where he was employed by the Sellas alongside Carlo Tononi.
Instruments by this member of the Guarneri family are rare, and distinguished for their convincing union of Venetian and Cremonese styles. Cellos in particular are highly valued along with those of his contemporaries Matteo Gofriller and Domenico Montagnana. Interestingly, several works from 1721 bear Cremonese labels for reasons unknown, despite Pietro's relocation several years before.
