Violin Making Gallery

This gallery offers a glimpse into my daily work in Cremona, the historic heart of violin making: from the selection of tonewoods and the shaping of the instrument to hand-applied varnish and the details that define the sound and visual character of each violin, viola and cello.

Each image reflects the Cremonese tradition together with my own personal research, following handcrafted string instruments as they gradually take shape and come to life through music.

Final check of the violin plate thickness in Marco Osio’s Cremona workshop
Checking the symmetry of the violin ribs during construction in Marco Osio’s Cremona workshop
Comparing a handmade violin scroll with an original plaster cast for stylistic reference in Marco Osio’s Cremona workshop
Cutting the purfling channel in a handmade violin during construction in Marco Osio’s Cremona workshop
Rounding the edge of a handmade violin with a file in Marco Osio’s Cremona workshop
Checking the length of the violin rib corner with dividers during construction in Marco Osio’s Cremona workshop
Graduating the violin back with a small plane in Marco Osio’s Cremona workshop
Dipping the brush into colored spirit varnish during violin finishing in Marco Osio’s Cremona workshop
Detail of the varnished violin top in Marco Osio’s Cremona workshop
Roughing out the arching of the violin top with a gouge in Marco Osio’s Cremona workshop
Detail of an unvarnished violin top showing the f-hole in Marco Osio’s Cremona workshop
Scraping the violin back to refine the surface in Marco Osio’s Cremona workshop
Violin back and ribs ready to be glued together in Marco Osio’s Cremona workshop
Violin neck and scroll by Marco Osio
Making the thickness of the violin by Marco Osio
Violin by Marco Osio detail of F hole
Blending the varnish on the violin neck in Marco Osio’s Cremona workshop
Violin marking by Marco Osio detail of varnished scroll
Detail of a varnished violin viewed from below in Marco Osio’s Cremona workshop
Applying varnish to the back of a handmade violin by Marco Osio in Cremona
Applying varnish to the scroll of a handmade violin by Marco Osio
Hand-carved violin scroll in progress in Marco Osio’s Cremona workshop

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