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Birth : 1875 in Mirecourt (Vosges) Death : 1959 in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique)

Biography

  Joseph Eugene LANGONET was the youngest of the four sons of Charles Francois Langonet, a woodwind instrument maker. Two of his brothers,Charles Francois and Emile Aime, also became luthiers, while Louis Albert became a bow maker.

  Roland TERRIER points out that contrary to what Rene VANNES wrote, it would have been impossible that Joseph had been apprenticed to Paul CHIPOT-VUILLAUME as he was 12 years his senior.
In 1891, he was apprenticed to Paul MANGENOT in MIRECOURT.

  From November 1896 until September 1899, Joseph did his obligatory military service. His military record book gives his address as of September 20,1899 as Hill & Sons, Hanswell (2). He had come to London to work with his older brother Charles Francois, who was the distinguished head of violin making and restoration at W.E. Hill & Sons. His quality work as a violin maker had been noticed by Alfred Hill, the head of this prestigious firm. During this collaboration, Joseph began to examine and study rare instruments including in 1904 the opening up and study of the “Messiah” Stradivarius.

  It is probable that he left London for Paris in 1902, when he got married. There is little known information about this , other than that in 1903 he resided at 4 Cite Jarry(2). It is also known that he was employed by SILVESTRE & MAUCOTEL (3).  
From this Parisian period, Joseph made some truly beautiful violins, specifically one dated 1906 (3) and another dated 1909 (4).

  We know he next settled in Geneva, most likely in the workshop of Alfred VIDOUDEZ, who had a history of business relationships with W.E.Hill & Sons. In 1910, he set up his own workshop in Nantes on the rue de l’Heronniere, which was to become his address for the remainder of his professional life.(3).

Works
   Through his training with Paul MANGENOT, LANGONET was able to benefit from a traditional heritage (Justin DERAZEY and Paul BAILLY) that traces back to JB VUILLAUME .

  At Hill’s, he was involved in making violins, some of which were copies or inspired by the great Italian masters. One can consult a brochure giving details of the Hill & Sons instruments exhibited in Glasgow in 1901(2). Number 1 was a copy of the “Alard” Stradivarius, a model he used in his own work in 1930.
His time at SILVESTRE & MAUCOTEL only strengthened his exceptional training before his move to Nantes.

  LANGONET’s violins were classically crafted, inspired by the great Italian masters. His excellent hands and Franco-English training are evident in his interpretations, which are rarely pure copies.
   His varnish is soft and supple, ranging from orange to yellow or yellow-brown. It was applied as a full or moderately shaded varnish, inspired by natural wear. This wear is generally visible on the central part of the back, more rarely on the soundboard and scroll.
The instruments of LANGONET are powerful, well-balanced, and renowned for their tonal quality.

Labels & brandsLabel and stamp
During its Parisian period, handwritten label:
Made by Eugène Langonet
à Paris, l'an 19..

  There must have been violins from the Paris period bearing a printed label, because Langonet, who was then living in Nantes, used a second label referring to his stay in Paris.
It is this label, which he used for many years, on which ‘PARIS’, crossed out, is surmounted by ‘NANTES’ added in pen (see Iconography).
The last of his works which we have seen is dated 1946, and still bears that same label

  Some of these labels, in addition to the serial number and the pen-and-ink signature, are completed with the name of the violin maker whose model was used as a reference, such as this violin dated 1930, sold at Sotheby's, which reads ‘Reproduction of the Stradivarius Alard’.

 Iron mark: LANGONET.NANTES (see iconography).

Award and medals
1924 Silver medal, Exposition Nationale. Nantes.
1926 Gold medal. Meilleur Artisan de France

Sources
(1) https://www.luthiers-mirecourt.com/langonet_genealogie.htm
(2) - (John Basford and Tm Toff. 2020)
(3) - (Vannes R 1981)
4) https://bridgewoodandneitzert.london/violin-by-eugene-langonet-paris-1909-p27559?srsltid=AfmBOopikPDWI8ngT5MMYgBssHbOJshd5FvZqrSCAhjgu_qx4rv7puyK
(More specific publication references are available in our Bibliography section.)




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