François Nicolas Voirin (1833-1885)

François Nicolas Voirin (1833-1885)

Known as “the Modern Tourte,” François Nicolas Voirin earned a place in history as one of France’s most skilled and influential archetiers. Born to a Mirecourt organ builder and gardener, Voirin joined his brother, Joseph, and cousin, Jean Baptiste Vuillaume, in the bow-making trade. He apprenticed under Jean Simon before joining his cousin Vuillaume’s Parisian atelier as a bow maker in 1855. 

At Jean Baptiste Vuillaume’s workshop, Voirin quickly distinguished himself as a talented archetier. He was greatly influenced by his cousin’s style, as well as his colleague, Pierre Simon’s. Vuillaume valued Voirin’s talent and trusted him with some of this workshop’s most complex bows, including the “picture bows,” which displayed Vuillaume’s image in the eye of the frog. Vuillaume even credited Voirin as a collaborator in the bows he displayed at the 1867 Exhibition.

In 1870, Voirin opened up his own workshop and further developed his personal style. Despite his sobriquet, Voirin’s mature bows did not reflect François Tourte’s models or any other member of the predominant Peccatte school of bow-making. Voirin preferred thin, delicate bows, which allow for greater agility and expressiveness. 

As both a craftsman and a teacher, Voirin became one of the nineteenth century’s most important archetiers. His workshop eventually expanded to employ France’s next generation of bow-makers, including Charles Bazin, Charles Husson I, Joseph Lamy père, Charles Peccatte, and the Thomassin cousins, Louis and Claude. After Voirin’s sudden death in 1885, Claude Thomassin took over the atelier. Although Voirin produced some bows for other firms, notably Chanot, Sebastian Deroux, and Gand Frères, he preferred selling under his own brand. His bows are stamped “F.N. Voirin à Paris,” and they are still highly sought after by modern players and collectors.