Violoncello after "The King" Violoncello, Cremona, after 1538
by Roland Houël, Mirecourt, 2007

Left: the superimposition of the heraldic emblems and insignia derived from iconographical sources onto the remains of those paintings visible on the back of the cello today.
Right: the derivation of the original design of the body of the violoncello extrapolated from the basic proportions used by Andrea Amati for the construction of his models.



Left: "The King" violoncello by Andrea Amati in the Shrine to Music Museum This instrument has been reduced in size
Right: the projected reconstruction of the original dimensions of that instrument, extrapolated from the methods of geometrical design employed by Andrea Amati and the reconstruction of the figures in the painting on the back of the instrument.



Compairaison of the violoncello with the drawing in Syntagma Musicum (1619) by Michael Praetorius






Roland Hoüel during the presentation of his violoncello at the
Amati Exhibition in Cremona, October, 2007








Stages in the construction of the violoncello.


violoncello Andrea Amati, Roland Houel

Roland Houël examining another original decorated violoncello
by Andrea Amati, at present in Vienna


updated 29.10.2007