François Xavier Tourte

Known as ‘Le Jeune’ to distinguish him from his elder brother Nicolas Léonard, François Xavier’s contribution to French bowmaking far outstrips that of Nicolas or any other bowmaker. Born in 1748, he trained as a clockmaker, but it is believed that he was working with bows from around 1774, under the influence of Nicolas. His own workshop was established in 1800 in Quai de l’Ecole. Contact with Giovanni Battista Viotti led the brothers to develop the modern incurved bow, and with Rudolph Kreutzer further developed the frog and its mechanisms. François Xavier’s work became the gold standard for subsequent craftsmen and remains the most valuable and desirable for both players and collectors. He seems to have retired in about 1833, where he lived for his last few years until 1835 on rue Dauphine.