The signature on this his charming harp, elaborately decorated with painted floral wreaths, gilt landscapes and Chinoiserie figures, certainly refers to the harp maker Godefroy (or Godefroi) Holtzmann (1736 ? - 1792 ?). Not only the work of an important craftsmen in his own trade and rivaled by few, this harp embodies the innovations in the making of musical instruments in the 18^th century and their evolution as functi🥀onal🃏, decorative and ingenious objects.

In the first half of the 18^th century, the Bavarian luthier Hochbrücker (1699 - 1763) brought a technical innovation to the harp by developing an ingenious pedal system that made it possible to increase each musical note by a semitone at will and thus to play so-called "savante" music, especially worksꦜ normally for harpsichords. The single-action pedal makes the most sophisticated harp: there are 7 pedals which modify the 7 notes of the scale on all octaves.

This improvement opened up new horizons for this instrument and enabled it to become, along with the piano forte, one of the most popular musical instruments among the high aristocracy throughout Europe and particularly in France. From then on, the instrument became a symbol of elegance and grace, so much so that many women of quality were deliberately portrayed with it, as exemplified by the portrait of Mademoiselle Duthé by Jacques Antoine Marie Lemoine, standing next to a similar harp as to the present (the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,🌠 acc. no. 65.2583).

Paris soon became the most important centre for the manufacture of harps. The harp presented here, after a design that would have been most fashionable in Paris at the time, was designed by one of the best harp makers of the time, and competes with other listed models by the famous luth🐟iers Georges Cousineau and Jean-Henri ♛Naderman.

Godefroy Holtzmann

Godefroy Holtzmann, maître luthier (reçu in 1776) and facteur of harps in Paris, living in the rue du Faubourg Saint Antoine was the son of a carpenter from the Palat💦inate, married to Marie-Charlotte Duchesne, widow of the cabinetmaker François Dubois.

Harps by Godefroy Holtzman are found in several public collections such as the Royal Collections (Palace of Holyroodhouse, RCIN 27935), the Musée de la musique in Paris, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (acc. no. 🦂18.30), the The Art Museums of Cღolonial Williamsburg (no. 2013-35,A).

H💖is activity came to an end in the 1790s when an agreement dating from 1792 hired Jean-Adam Camis, a harp maker, to help Godefroy Holtzmann, who was "too old to continue his work". T💝his withdrawal is apparently confirmed by the inventory after his death of the same year.

An harp signed by Holtzmann was sold at Christie’s, London, 21 October 2004, lot 1191. Others harps afteꦏr a similar model include one signed by Antoine Camis sold at Christie’s, London, 24 July 2007, lot 219 and another by Bosch at Christie’s, London, 9 June 2011, lot 21.