Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri (del Gesù) (21 August 1698 - 17 October 1744), has been called the greatest violinmaker of all time. Giuseppe is known as del Gesù because his labels always incorporated the characters I.H.S. (iota-eta-sigma) and a Roman cross. His instruments deviated significantly from family tradition, becoming uniquely his own style, and are considered second in quality only to those of Stradivari and argued by some to be superior. The famed violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini’s favorite instrument Il Cannone Guarnerius was a Guarneri del Gesù violin of 1743. The Lord Wilton Guarneri del Gesù violin made in 1742 was owned by Yehudi Menuhin. Other Twentieth-century 'del Gesù' players include Arthur Grumiaux, Jascha Heifetz, Michael Rabin, Joseph Silverstein, Isaac Stern, and Henryk Szeryng
by MSMviolin May 28, 2009