Alessandro Gagliano
Alessandro Gagliano
Alessandro Gagliano (fl c1700–c1735) was the first maker in the Gagliano family and the first known Neapolitan maker: it is not known where he learnt his craft. His work differs in almost all respects from that of his descendants, but most of all in the varnish he used.
This was of a soft, oily nature, similar to the very best, glowing and transparent and of the deepest red colour. He was only an average workman, but his instruments have great character and are in no sense copies of the work of his great predecessors or contemporaries.
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He made violins of at least three different sizes, one of them small and another rather too large, with a long string length. The soundholes have an exaggerated swing which can nevertheless be quite charming, but the scrolls are often pinched in design and crudely carved, sometimes with a little extra ornament to the pegbox. His cellos are especially good, but rare.
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