A Franco-Flemish double-manual harpsichord, originally a transposing harpsichord made in Antwerp in 1617, and then ravalé in Paris, possibly by François Étienne Blanchet in 1750, and then in stages by Jacques Barberini, Paris, c.1775 and by Nicolas Hoffman, 1786.

This shows one of the panels on the bentside after the cleaning of the brown linseed oil varnish, but before the decoration has been restored.  The line at the left marked by the arrow shows the join to lengthen the treble end of the bentside which resulted from the ravalement by Barberini, Paris, c.1770.  This join has been partly disguised underneath a painting of foliate decoration.

The painting of the putti may also be by François Boucher, Paris, 1750, with the surrounding decorations attributed to Christophe Huet, Paris, 1750.

the painting of the Bentside putti

Click here for details of the putti

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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