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Art Gallery: Guitar Heroes - Legendary Craftsmen from Italy to New York

Beautiful exhibits from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's instrumental overview

by theartsdeskSunday, 13 February 2011

String theory: Detail of a guitar by James D'Aquisto

All images © Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

From a guitar by Matteo Sellas dating back to Germany before 1630 to one made in New York by John Monteleone in 2008, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Guitar Heroes exhibition is will go down as the longest guitar solo slot in history. Including one of the four surviving models by Stradivari, it monitors the guitar’s development in Italy and the instrument’s migration across the Atlantic. Angelo Mannello, born in Italy, made the mandolins seen here in America. It is clear from this gallery, which includes a bespoke instrument made for Paul Simon, that the skill exhibited by the great guitarists is no less an attribute of the craftsmen who design and build the instruments they play.

Matteo Sellas: Guitar, c 1630–50. Spruce, bone, parchment, snakewood, ivory (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)
Antonio Stradivari: Guitar, "The Rawlins", 1700. Spruce, maple, ebony (National Music Museum, University of South Dakota, Vermilion)
Guitar, c, 1800. Spruce, ebony, ivory, tortoiseshell (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)
Angelo Mannello: Mandolins, c 1900. Spruce, tortoiseshell, ivory, metal (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)
John D’Angelico: Detail, Archtop Guitar, Excel model, 1951. Spruce, maple, ebony, brass, celluloid, mother of pearl; sunburst finish (Private collection)
John D’Angelico: Archtop Guitar, “Teardrop” New Yorker model, 1957. Spruce, maple, ebony, brass, celluloid, mother of pearl; sunburst finish, cutaway (Scott Chinery Collection)
James D’Aquisto: Archtop Guitar, Oval-Hole New Yorker Special model, 1975. Spruce, maple, ebony, mother of pearl; sunburst finish (orange to red) (Paul Simon)
James D’Aquisto: Archtop Guitar, Blue Centura Deluxe model, 1994. Spruce, maple, ebony; blue finish, cutaway (Scott Chinery Collection)
John Monteleone: Archtop Guitar, Grand Artist Tri Port model, 1999. Spruce, maple, ebony, mother of pearl; blonde finish (Private collection)
John Monteleone: Archtop Guitar, “Teardrop”, 2008. Spruce, maple, ebony, mother of pearl; blonde finish, cutaway (Private collection)

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Read "theartsdesk in New York: Guitar Month"
Guitar Heroes: Legendary Craftsmen from Italy to New York at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York until 4 July
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