Januarius Gagliano

Gennaro Gagliano (c.1705—c.1790), also known as Januarius, was an Italian luthier and violin-maker from Naples, son of Alessandro Gagliano (1665–1732) and brother of Nicola Gagliano. Even though Nicolò carries most fame and recognition of brothers Gagliano—both for solidifying the "family standard" (which subsequently formed an entire Neapolitan school of luthiery) and his flourishing progeny—Gennaro ultimately excelled as a more sophisticated and creative luthier. He labeled the instruments Januarius Gaglianö Filius Alexandri fecit Neap. Unlike their father, Gennaro sought inspiration not only in Antonio Stradivari's design but in varied "grand Amati" instruments. The builder applied special varnish, ranging from deep-red to yellowish-brown—glaringly different from Nicolò's "trademark" Gagliano's standard. Today, there are over 240 instruments: primarily violins, a dozen cellos, and singular violas. Gennaro's builds are costly and sought-after: violins routinely trade in the $100,000–$276,000 range, and in Dec 2020, one of his cellos went for an astounding $1,055,500 at Vichy-Enchères auction.