RUDDIMAN, Joseph.—Aberdeen. Born 1733. Died 1810. Said to have been a pupil of Matthew Hardie.
RUGERI.—Cremona; seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. A celebrated family of makers. The name is seen spelt in a variety of ways, e.g. “Ruggieri,” “Rugieri,” etc. The founder was Francesco, who worked in the latter half of the seventeenth century, and adopted the distinctive title “il Per” on his label, possibly to prevent confusing his work with that of the Rogeri who also worked with Amati but came from Bologna. In this practice he was followed by his sons. He was a splendid workman and one of the best of Amati’s followers. He copied Niccolò’s instruments with much fidelity and was very successful with the “grand pattern.” Amati labels, mostly badly latinised and incorrect, seem to have been found in his violins from an early period, but it does not seem to be certainly established that he himself inserted them. Such work of his as was made in the master’s workshop would obviously bear correct labels. Most of his violins have handsome backs, some of larger figure than that usually employed by Amati. His varnish is most beautiful, and, in the finest specimens, of a brilliant red colour. In other works it is identical with the yellow seen on the majority of Amati’s instruments. In later works he somewhat altered the form of the sound-hole, but his work, of whatever date, is almost always full of grace. The heads are excellent. A large number of his violoncellos survive. They were mostly, but not invariably, of large size, and have been reduced, not always too well. The backs are frequently of plain wood. Giacinto Gio. Battista Rugeri, a son, seems to have dropped the “Gio. Battista” from his later labels. He worked down to about the end of the seventeenth century, but probably assisted his father largely, and his own signed work is comparatively scarce. It is said that he made good tenors and a number of useful violoncellos. One or two violins seen by the writer were less graceful than those of Francesco, and the varnish brown. Vincenzo Rugeri, a younger son of Francesco, seems to have been the last of the family, and was at work until 1735 or later. Writer has seen violas and violoncellos, but only one violin of his make. The work is of Amati character, and the finish good, but not remarkably so. Some, if not all, of his tickets have an ornamental border.
RUPPERT, Johann Heinrich.—Erfurt; 1719-36. Stainer outline, but arching comparatively flat; no linings or corner blocks.
RUPRECHT, Wilhelm.—Vienna. Died 1862. A clever maker. Many of his copies are double purfled, and it is said that some have been sold as genuine Brescian work. He was awarded a medal in 1839.
SACCHINI, Sabattino.—Pesaro; seventeenth century.
SACQUIN.—Paris; nineteenth century, to about 1860. Backs of instruments branded inside. Chiefly Stradivari pattern.
SAINT PAUL, Antoine.—Paris; 1768-89. Guersan style of work. Heads like those of other makers of the period, said to have been cut by women. Another Saint Paul (Pierre) worked earlier and was possibly his father.
SALLE, Le Père.—Paris; 1825-50. Chiefly known as a connoisseur and repairer. Copied Guarneri.
SALOMON, Jean Baptiste Deshayes.—Reims, Paris; circa 1735-70. This maker was either an unequal workman, or the instruments bearing his name and stamp were made in different grades. The writer has seen very good violoncellos, on which the finish was above the average. Yellow varnish and well-carved scrolls. The violins generally have a brownish-yellow varnish, the arching is carried almost to the edges. Sound-holes rather wide apart, belly wood rather hard, and backs showing little figure, though now and then they are handsomer. Tone not particularly good. He used various tickets. His business was carried on by his widow for some years after his death.
SALZARD, Francois.—Paris, Mirecourt. Born 1808. Died 1874. Mirecourt style of work. Yellow-brown varnish. Tone powerful. Name often written or branded inside the backs. There was a D. Salzar, probably his father. A son, Ernest André, worked in Moscow and St. Petersburg where he died in 1897.