Another rightly celebrated violin, the “Lord Wilton” was ranked among del Gesù’s great masterpieces by the Hills in 1931 and has been in the possession of Yehudi Menuhin, now Lord Menuhin, since 1978.
The outline is broader in the lower bouts than previous models, emphasized by the flattened appearance at the upper and lower extremes, across the end blocks, a characteristic the “Lord Wilton” shares with other instruments from the same period, the “Alard” (1742) and the “Cannon” (1743). There is great freedom and vitality in the broad curves of this pattern, as well as an imposing breadth and presence. The particularly pinched corners and deeply worked edges are also a feature of Guarneri’s work at that time.