This Luthier paints masterpieces of art onto his violins and they’re so beautiful

29 June 2021, 08:48

By Kyle Macdonald

Art and music in harmony – these instruments are almost too beautiful for words

Saulo Dantas-Barreto is a renowned violin maker who crafts and repairs instruments for string players the world over.

But what’s extra-remarkable is how this creator also swaps a luthier’s chisel for a paintbrush, adorning his instruments with masterpieces from the art world.

Read more: What’s so good about Stradivarius violins? >

The works of Michelangelo, Caravaggio and Vincent van Gogh have been painted onto violins, which Dantas-Barreto shares on his Instagram channel.

Layers of beauty. Let’s admire a few of them.

  1. View this post on Instagram

    Viola Sistina

    A post shared by Saulo Dantas-Barreto (@saulodantasbarreto) on

  2. View this post on Instagram

    Violino Van Gogh em construção

    A post shared by Saulo Dantas-Barreto (@saulodantasbarreto) on

Dantas-Barreto studied his craft in violin-making at the Antonio Stradivari International Violin Making Institute in Cremona, Italy. He also studied sculpture and violin performance. His workshop is in São Paulo, Brasil.