Comparison of the Tomasini decorations on the jackrail of the Franco-Flemish harpsichord, and on the stand of the 1889 double-manual harpsichord by Louis Tomasini in the Berlin Musikinstrumentenmuseum.
The decoration on the top of the jackrail (top) of the Franco-Flemish harpsichord compared with two photographs of the decoration of the stand of the 1889 double-manual harpsichord by Louis Tomasini in the Berlin Musikinstrumentenmuseum (below). The similarity in the style and execution of the paintings shown in these three photographs is striking and strongly suggests that the top of the jackrail, and perhaps some of the outer-case decoration was carried out by Daniel Merlin (1861 - 1933) whose work is known mainly for his painting of cats. He is also known to have decorated a 'vernis martin' grand piano by Pleyel in 1903, but he also decorated other modern instruments.
The two lower photographs are published here thanks to the generosity of Conny Restle, Director of the Musikinstrumentenmuseum, Berlin.
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Important Features of this harpsichord
A brief history of the musical and decorative states of the Franco-Flemish harpsichord
Details of
the original state of the instrument
Details of the eighteenth-century states of this harpsichord
Details of the modern history of this harpsichord
A problem encountered in the ethical restoration of this harpsichord
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