Chisel and Archimedean hand drill attributed to Torres.
Antonio de Torres Jurado He was born in La Cañada de San Ubano, not far from Almería (Spain) on 13 June 1817 and died in Almería on 19 November 1892. Torres is considered the father of the modern classical guitar. His innovative guitars kindled enthusiasm among the European public and changed the way that people viewed the guitar. Domingo Prat, in his Diccionario de guitarristas, 1934, writes: Famous luthier, great among the top artists in his field. In his youth he moved to Vera where he ap-
prenticed in carpentry, a trade he practised for some time. Later, aged twenty-three, he married, and the couple had a daughter. For personal reasons he moved to Granada where, given his knowledge of woodwork, he easily learned lutherie under master guitar maker Don José Pernas. It was in this city, then, that the young man who would become a grand master of his art built his first ever guitar. Once established in his new profesThe famous three-arch headstock. Shown here with wooden pegs and catgut strings.
Portrait of Antonio de Torres by French artist Catherine Keun.
“The concert guitar was born in his hands.”