A Franco-Flemish double-manual harpsichord, originally a 'transposing' harpsichord made in Antwerp in 1617, possibly by Frans van Huffel.  It was given a bass ravalement in Paris in 1750 by François Étienne Blanchet and it was later given a treble ravalement in 1786 by Jacques Barberini and Nicolas Hoffmann.

This shows one of the panels on the bentside after the cleaning away of the dark brown linseed oil varnish, but before the decoration has been restored.  The line at the left marked by the arrow shows the position of the join made to lengthen the treble end of the bentside.  This was the ravalement by Barberini and Hoffman, 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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