French Horn

Art Historical Context

This elegant French horn, crafted around 1890 by the renowned Parisian maker Gautrot Brevete, exemplifies the refined brass instruments of late nineteenth-century France. Made entirely of brass and measuring 28 by 42 inches, its coiled form highlights the practical design that allowed musicians to produce a rich, resonant tone through lip vibration—an aerophone classified for its distinctive sound production. As part of the Crosby Brown Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the instrument reflects the growing sophistication of orchestral music during the Romantic era, when brass sectio...