... Or at least during the the second half of the sixteenth century in Europe, was a Bavarian town called Füssen. Located about 3 mile north of the Austrian border, and now revered for its violin-
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| Aerial view of Füssen |
making history, the town was a hotbed of lute construction. It became necessary to impose regulations on their lute industry. They created a guild for lute makers to regulate activities and production standards and prices. The guild then limited the number of workshops in Füssen to twenty. This had extensive repercussions on the lute-making industry. Many luthiers moved out of the town to the rest of the Bavarian region, later to Venice, and last to Bologna and Padua. The last two would become the most important centers of of lute making in the seventeenth and eighteenth century.
Santa Maria Bouquet, Jonathan. "The Lute."
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Web. 9 Dec. 2014.
"Füssen."
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Aug. 2014. Web. 9 Dec. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Füssen>.
Lily, these are interesting facts. How do they tie into the work that you're doing? Remember that in each post you should connect the information back to your project. How does this inform your work? What will you do with it?
ReplyDeleteMs. Slaughter, what I'm trying to do at this point is gather bits of knowledge relating to the cultural exchange and development of the lute through history. A post on Fussen tells me that there was lute activity in Germany in the 16th century, and then that the centers shifted later. This should help me have a geographical infrastructure to which to relate cultural information I learn. At least that's what I'm hoping! :)
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Having a broader understanding of the role of guilds in this period might also help you understand the social function of the lute.
ReplyDeleteLily, thanks for the response. This gives me a better understanding of your process. Keep up the good work!
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