Horace Petherick

Horace William Petherick was a British artist, illustrator, writer, and violin connoisseur whose career ranged across several creative fields. He illustrated more than 100 books and also produced paintings now held in UK public collections, showing how comfortably he worked in both commercial illustration and fine art.

Later, he became especially known for his writing on violins and their makers. He contributed essays to The Strad and wrote books including The History of the Violin, Antonio Stradivari, Joseph Guarnerius: His Work and His Master, and Repairing and Restoration of Violins. He also made a small number of violins himself, which gives his books an appealing mix of scholarship and hands-on experience.

That combination of artist, craftsman, and enthusiast makes his work especially engaging for readers interested in music history. Even when he was writing about celebrated makers, his background in drawing and design helped him notice the visual character of instruments as well as their history and construction.