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Iconography
Birth : 1833 in Mirecourt (Vosges) Death : 1885 in Paris (Ile de France)

Summary

Also known as the Modern Tourte.

Biography

Career
François-Nicolas VOIRIN began his apprenticeship at age 12 in MIRECOURT under Jean SIMON, brother of Nicolas SIMON, known as SIMON FR.

In 1855, when already a skilled and accomplished craftsman, François-Nicolas went to Paris to join the workshop of his renowned second cousin, Jean-Baptiste VUILLAUME. There he collaborated with the last great bow makers of the Peccatte school, his work being most inspired by the style of Pierre SIMON. However, more than anything else, he is influenced by Vuillaume’s ideas and adopted the “Vuillaume” model channeled frog which he used consistently during his 15 years in this workshop (see #2415).

In the Vuillaume’s workshop, VOIRIN was soon in charge of the production of decorated bows- mounted in ivory, tortoiseshell and gold, and with Vuillaume inserted  in micro-photos with his own portrait. He also had the responsibility of training the apprentices and controlling their production. (2)
In 1867, on the initiative of J. B. VUILLAUME, VOIRIN exhibited some of his bows at the Exposition Universelle de Paris, where his work earned him an Honorable Mention(3).

On January 1, 1870 FN VOIRIN left Vuillaume to set up on his own at 3 rue de Bouloi. In 1872, he hired Louis THOMASSIN and then in 1876 Joseph-Alfred LAMY known as LAMY Pere. 

In June 1885, while going to GAND & BERNARDEL Frères to show the bows that he had prepared for the Antwerp Univeral Exposition, VOIRIN suffered a severe stroke and died as a direct result of it. Louis THOMASSIN remained with VOIRIN’s widow to assist her in the running of the workshop until 1891. (1)

Works
1870 marked a turning point for F.N.VOIRIN. While continuing to produce bows with the Vuillaume model frog, VOIRIN further continued and strengthened an evolution started from his time with Vuillaume. From this time forward, the head becomes thinner and the sticks are reduced in thickness towards the head. These features become more accentuated for the remainder of his professional life.
While the majority of his bows were round, a good number of octagonal can be found, generally of the highest quality. Besides bows of standard weight, VOIRIN produced an important quantity of lighter bows, “featherweight bows” as named by William C. Retford.(4)

In conclusion, VOIRIN bridged the gap between the XIX and XX century bow making traditions. With Joseph LAMY his work influenced all the great makers of the first quarter of the XX century and with Eugène SARTORY, FÉTIQUE Victor and Emile Auguste OUCHARD, his influence spread around the 1940's when makers like Jules FÉTIQUE and André CHARDON initiated the come back of the PECCATTE model.

Honors and awards
- 1867 Exposition Universelle de Paris. Mention Honorable. (3)
- 1878 Exposition Universelle de Paris. Médaille d'argent. (3)
- 1885 Antwerp Universal Exhibition. Gold Medal (awarded posthumously) (3)

Collaborators & successors
- HUSSON Charles Claude ( briefly c. 1875)
- LAMY Alfred Joseph  (1876 to 1885)
- THOMASSIN Louis Joseph (1872 to 1891)

Sources
1 - (Millant - Raffin 2000)
2 - (Millot S. 2006)
3 - Tableaux des expositions de 1798 à 1900. Malou Haine. Avril 2008
4 - (William C. Retford, 1964)

 

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