Charles François Gand – Violin Maker (1787 – 1845)

Charles François Gand (known as Gand Pere) was born in 1787 in Versailles and was both the son and pupil of violin maker Charles Michel Gand, who lived in Mirecourt before relocating to Versailles in 1780. At the age of 15, the young Gand moved to Paris to apprentice with Nicolas Lupot, where he remained until 1810. Gand returned to Versailles in 1810 to work in his father’s shop. After his father’s death in 1820, Gand returned to Paris, where he was employed by Lupot. In 1819, Gand opened his own workshop and eventually took over Lupot’s workshop in 1824, following his death. In Paris, he was appointed luthier of the Royal Court of France, where he made instruments for the Paris Conservatory. 

Gand’s instruments are reflective of the French school at that time and his best work bear the hallmarks of Lupot’s influence – bold and powerful and varnished with a rich, red-brown or orange-brown varnish.

Gand received multiple honors and awards, including Luthier de la Musique du Roi (Luthier of the King’s Music), Luthier de l’Ecole Royale de Musique (Luthier of the Royal School of Music) and Luthier du Conservatoire Royal de Musique (Luthier of the Royal Music Conservatory).

Violin by Charles François Gand Paris 1825