{"id":31703,"date":"2026-03-13T11:45:51","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T10:45:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vichy-encheres.com\/?p=31703"},"modified":"2026-04-14T10:47:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T08:47:00","slug":"cor-de-chasse-demi-lune-cretien-pere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vichy-encheres.com\/en\/2026\/03\/13\/cor-de-chasse-demi-lune-cretien-pere\/","title":{"rendered":"D\u00e9couverte d\u2019un grand cor de chasse de Cr\u00e9tien"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Le cor de chasse ancien occupe une place singuli\u00e8re dans l\u2019histoire des cuivres naturels. Instrument d\u2019appel avant d\u2019\u00eatre instrument de musique, il accompagne pendant plusieurs si\u00e8cles les pratiques cyn\u00e9g\u00e9tiques aristocratiques et royales, avant de donner naissance \u00e0 la trompe de chasse fran\u00e7aise, puis d\u2019ouvrir la voie au cor d\u2019orchestre moderne. Dans cette \u00e9volution de l\u2019instrument, la famille Cr\u00e9tien, active d\u2019abord \u00e0 Vernon puis \u00e0 Paris, joue un r\u00f4le majeur. Les cors qui lui sont attribu\u00e9s comptent parmi les t\u00e9moins majeurs, bien que rares, de l\u2019histoire. Nous sommes donc particuli\u00e8rement heureux de vous pr\u00e9senter un nouveau mod\u00e8le, un grand cor en demi-lune, d\u00e9couvert \u00e0 l\u2019occasion de nos ventes de vents et de cordes pinc\u00e9es des 30 avril et 2 mai 2026.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Catalogue<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Catalogue de la collection de guitares Signature<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Vente du 30 avril 2026<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Vente du 2 mai 2026<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Contact<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Experts<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
English version<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Le cor Cr\u00e9tien de la vente de Vichy<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Cor<\/a>
Cor de chasse en laiton de forme demi-lune dit \u00ab grand cor \u00bb r\u00e9alis\u00e9 par un des membres de la famille CRETIEN
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 2 mai 2026
\u00a9 Vichy Ench\u00e8res\/ Photo C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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L\u2019instrument d\u00e9couvert \u00e0 l\u2019occasion des ventes de Vichy Ench\u00e8res est un cor de chasse en laiton de forme demi-lune, dit \u201cgrand cor\u201d. Il porte l\u2019estampille “R” \/ [cerf fuyant] \/ “C” \/ “VERNON”, que l\u2019on retrouve \u00e9galement sur trois cors conserv\u00e9s au Mus\u00e9e de la Musique \u00e0 Paris et attribu\u00e9s \u00e0 Cr\u00e9tien P\u00e8re, c’est-\u00e0-dire Raulin I Cr\u00e9tien. Cette estampille invite donc \u00e0 penser que le cor de la vente serait de la main de Cr\u00e9tien P\u00e8re, et qu\u2019il aurait \u00e9t\u00e9 r\u00e9alis\u00e9 durant la premi\u00e8re moiti\u00e9 du XVII\u00e8me si\u00e8cle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Son ornementation, particuli\u00e8rement soign\u00e9e, et sa facture, pr\u00e9sentent les caract\u00e9ristiques propres aux instruments connus de la famille Cr\u00e9tien. Il en est ainsi du pavillon bord\u00e9 d\u2019une guirlande dentel\u00e9e grav\u00e9e, d\u00e9cor\u00e9e de fleurs \u00e0 cinq p\u00e9tales, et de l\u2019embouchure \u00e0 motifs de feuillages finement grav\u00e9s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Par sa forme en demi-lune, ses dimensions et proportions, cet instrument appartient \u00e0 la cat\u00e9gorie des grands cors de chasse de la premi\u00e8re moiti\u00e9 du XVII\u00e8me si\u00e8cle.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Cor<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cor<\/a><\/figure>\n
Cor de chasse demi-lune dit \u00ab grand cor \u00bb, la famille CRETIEN, Vernon, 1\u00e8re partie du XVII\u00e8me – Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 2 mai 2026 – \u00a9 Vichy Ench\u00e8res\/ Photo C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Cor<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cor<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cor<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cor<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cor<\/a><\/figure>\n
Cor de chasse demi-lune dit \u00ab grand cor \u00bb, la famille CRETIEN, Vernon, 1\u00e8re partie du XVII\u00e8me – Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 2 mai 2026 – \u00a9 Vichy Ench\u00e8res\/ Photo C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Le grand cor demi-lune dans l\u2019\u00e9volution du cor de chasse<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Diderot<\/a>
Diderot et d’Alembert, Atelier de fabrication de trompes au XVIIIe si\u00e8cle, reproduit dans Jo\u00ebl Bou\u00ebss\u00e9e, La trompe de chasse et Gaston de Marolles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Jean-Baptiste<\/a>
Jean-Baptiste Oudry, Les chasses royales de Louis XV, inv 7013, ch\u00e2teau de Fontainebleau, RMN Thierry Ollivier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Avant de devenir un instrument \u00e0 part enti\u00e8re, capable d\u2019int\u00e9grer l\u2019orchestre ou de soutenir un r\u00e9pertoire sp\u00e9cialis\u00e9, le cor de chasse est d\u2019abord un instrument de signalisation. Son histoire remonte aux cors naturels, aux olifants et aux huchets qui, du Moyen \u00c2ge \u00e0 la Renaissance, servent \u00e0 transmettre des signaux dans l\u2019espace de la chasse, de la guerre ou de la c\u00e9r\u00e9monie. Le huchet du veneur, de petite taille, produit un nombre limit\u00e9 de sons et conserve longtemps une fonction essentiellement utilitaire – celle d\u2019alerter ou de signaler une \u00e9tape dans la poursuite – sans remplir la fonction r\u00e9elle d\u2019un instrument de musique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cLa trompe de chasse est avant tout un simple accessoire du veneur et surtout du piqueur ; elle lui sert \u00e0 se faire entendre \u00e0 grande distance par ses chiens et les personnes qui suivent la chasse, et ensuite \u00e0 la cur\u00e9e. Celui-ci sonne pour ceux qui sont \u00e0 plus d’un kilom\u00e8tre et le musicien joue pour des auditeurs \u00e0 quelques m\u00e8tres.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jo\u00ebl Bou\u00ebss\u00e9e, La trompe de chasse et Gaston de Marolles, f\u00e9d\u00e9ration internationale des trompes de France, 1979<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

C\u2019est pour accro\u00eetre la port\u00e9e sonore et les ressources acoustiques du cor, que l\u2019instrument fut modifi\u00e9. En effet, plus le tube est long, plus la s\u00e9rie harmonique s\u2019\u00e9largit, et plus l\u2019instrument peut produire autre chose que de simples appels. Pour cela, des premi\u00e8res tentatives de cors recourb\u00e9s ou partiellement enroul\u00e9s virent le jour d\u00e8s la Renaissance, mais elles ne semblent pas avoir imm\u00e9diatement d\u00e9bouch\u00e9 sur un type pleinement stabilis\u00e9. Ce n\u2019est qu\u2019au XVII\u00e8me si\u00e8cle qu\u2019appara\u00eet vraiment le grand cor en demi-lune, un mod\u00e8le de moyenne ampleur, interm\u00e9diaire entre le huchet ancien et la trompe \u00e0 plusieurs tours, qui figure dans la typologie des cors pr\u00e9sent\u00e9s par Marin Mersenne en 1636[1]<\/sup><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Marin Mersenne, Harmonie universelle, 1636<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Harmonie<\/a>
Harmonie Universelle de Marin Mersenne en 1636<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

L\u2019abandon progressif des mat\u00e9riaux naturels au profit du m\u00e9tal permit aussi de recourber davantage le tube et d\u2019en augmenter la longueur, ouvrant ainsi la voie \u00e0 des instruments de plus grande taille et aux possibilit\u00e9s acoustiques \u00e9largies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

La forme en demi-lune avait l\u2019avantage d\u2019augmenter la longueur du tube sans rendre l\u2019instrument impossible d\u2019utilisation dans le cadre de la chasse, car celui-ci restait portatif. Il devint ainsi, dans la premi\u00e8re moiti\u00e9 du XVII\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, l\u2019un des instruments embl\u00e9matiques des chasses aristocratiques. C\u2019est pr\u00e9cis\u00e9ment dans cette histoire que s\u2019inscrit le mod\u00e8le Cr\u00e9tien de la vente Vichy, qui illustre une phase de transition fondamentale entre le cor de signal et la trompe sous Louis XIV.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Raulin Cr\u00e9tien I : origines normandes de la dynastie<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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La famille Cr\u00e9tien – orthographi\u00e9e parfois Chr\u00e9tien – est originaire de Vernon en Normandie. Raulin Cr\u00e9tien I est consid\u00e9r\u00e9 comme le fondateur de cette dynastie de faiseurs d\u2019instruments actifs d\u00e8s le d\u00e9but du XVII\u00e8me si\u00e8cle[1]<\/sup><\/a>. On ignore ses dates exactes de naissance et de mort, mais on sait qu\u2019il travaillait sous le r\u00e8gne d\u2019Henri IV. Vernon, ville de bord de Seine entre Paris et Rouen, \u00e9tait le berceau de son activit\u00e9 artisanale. Raulin I y exer\u00e7ait le m\u00e9tier de chaudronnier – artisan du cuivre – sp\u00e9cialis\u00e9 dans la fabrication de cors de chasse, m\u00e9tier alors souvent li\u00e9 au travail du m\u00e9tal. Il est possible qu\u2019il ait collabor\u00e9 avec d\u2019autres centres m\u00e9tallurgiques r\u00e9gionaux. Certaines techniques de fabrication de cors pouvaient, en effet, provenir de fonderies renomm\u00e9es comme celle de Villedieu-les-Po\u00eales en Normandie[2]<\/sup><\/a>, dont t\u00e9moigne probablement le cor demi-lune estampill\u00e9 \u201cVILEDIEV\u201d, pass\u00e9 en vente \u00e0 Vichy Ench\u00e8res en mai 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Renato Meucci & Gabriele Rocchetti, The Horn, Yale University Press, 2021
[2]<\/sup><\/a> Renato Meucci & Gabriele Rocchetti, The Horn, Yale University Press, 2021<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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D\u00e8s cette \u00e9poque, les cors fabriqu\u00e9s \u00e0 Vernon par Raulin Cr\u00e9tien I portent l\u2019estampille  “R” \/ [cerf fuyant] \/ “C” \/ “VERNON”. Son poin\u00e7on, le cerf, est un symbole de la chasse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raulin Cr\u00e9tien I est \u00e0 l\u2019origine d\u2019une v\u00e9ritable dynastie de facteurs de cuivres normands, destin\u00e9e \u00e0 s\u2019illustrer durant plus d\u2019un si\u00e8cle, environ de 1611 \u00e0 1737. Parmi ses enfants, on compte au moins deux fils facteurs. L\u2019un pr\u00e9nomm\u00e9 Raulin comme lui et d\u00e9nomm\u00e9 Raulin II ; l\u2019autre pr\u00e9nomm\u00e9 Jacques. Un troisi\u00e8me, Jean, est \u00e9galement \u00e9voqu\u00e9 par les recherches r\u00e9centes, bien que sa biographie soit mal document\u00e9e[1]<\/sup><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Renato Meucci & Gabriele Rocchetti, The Horn, Yale University Press, 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Un cor demi-lune estampill\u00e9 VILEDIEV<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Cr\u00e9tien<\/a>
Cr\u00e9tien I, Cor, 1\u00e8re moiti\u00e9 XVII\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, E.792<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cr\u00e9tien<\/a>
Cr\u00e9tien I, Cor, 1\u00e8re moiti\u00e9 XVII\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, E.792<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cr\u00e9tien<\/a>
Cr\u00e9tien I, Cor, 1\u00e8re moiti\u00e9 XVII\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, E.217<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cr\u00e9tien<\/a>
Cr\u00e9tien I, Cor, 1\u00e8re moiti\u00e9 XVII\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, E.133<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cr\u00e9tien<\/a>
Cr\u00e9tien I, Cor, 1\u00e8re moiti\u00e9 XVII\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, E.133<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Mus\u00e9e de la Musique de Paris, cr\u00e9dits photos Thierry Ollivier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Raulin Cr\u00e9tien II<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Raulin Cr\u00e9tien II est le repr\u00e9sentant de la deuxi\u00e8me g\u00e9n\u00e9ration. On ne conna\u00eet pas sa date de naissance, mais on sait qu\u2019il meurt en 1670<\/a>. Il a tr\u00e8s vraisemblablement travaill\u00e9 aux c\u00f4t\u00e9s de son p\u00e8re dans la premi\u00e8re moiti\u00e9 du XVII\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, apprenant le m\u00e9tier dans l\u2019atelier familial \u00e0 Vernon. Il est possible que Raulin II ait contribu\u00e9 \u00e0 \u00e9largir la production et la client\u00e8le de la maison Cr\u00e9tien. En effet, sous les r\u00e8gnes de Louis XIII puis de Louis XIV, la pratique de la chasse \u00e0 courre prend une importance consid\u00e9rable dans la haute soci\u00e9t\u00e9 fran\u00e7aise, cr\u00e9ant une demande accrue en instruments de chasse de qualit\u00e9. Les Cr\u00e9tien, en tant que sp\u00e9cialistes du cor, en profitent pour se faire conna\u00eetre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Les cors estampill\u00e9s \u201cR C\u201d et \u201cVERNON\u201d trouv\u00e9s sur des instruments dat\u00e9s du milieu du XVII\u00e8me si\u00e8cle peuvent \u00eatre attribu\u00e9s soit \u00e0 Raulin I soit \u00e0 Raulin II, tant leurs initiales sont identiques.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Sous l\u2019\u00e9gide de Cr\u00e9tien II, l\u2019atelier continue d\u2019innover et d\u2019adapter ses instruments aux besoins des veneurs, allongeant progressivement la longueur des cors et leur tessiture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raulin II est vraisemblablement rest\u00e9 principalement actif \u00e0 Vernon durant sa carri\u00e8re. Toutefois, la fin de sa vie co\u00efncide avec une transition g\u00e9ographique importante pour la famille, \u00e0 savoir l\u2019installation \u00e0 Paris d\u2019un atelier Cr\u00e9tien. En effet, Jacques Cr\u00e9tien I, son fr\u00e8re – ou son cousin – s\u2019\u00e9tablit \u00e0 Paris dans la seconde moiti\u00e9 du XVII\u00e8me si\u00e8cle. Cr\u00e9tien II dispara\u00eet en 1670, \u00e0 une \u00e9poque charni\u00e8re o\u00f9 la production commence \u00e0 se d\u00e9placer vers la capitale, centre n\u00e9vralgique des commandes royales.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Claude<\/a>
Claude Monet, Vue de l’\u00e9glise de Vernon, 1883, Giverny<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Raulin<\/a>
Raulin Cr\u00e9tien I ou II, Cor de chasse en demi-lune, vers 1600\u20131650, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Raulin<\/a>
Raulin Cr\u00e9tien I ou II, Cor de chasse en demi-lune, vers 1600\u20131650, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, d\u00e9tail<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Jacques Cr\u00e9tien I : de Vernon \u00e0 Paris<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Adam<\/a>
Adam Frans van der Meulen, Louis XIV traverssant le Pont-Neuf, c.1660, Louvre, d\u00e9p\u00f4t Mus\u00e9e de Grenoble<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Jacques Cr\u00e9tien I est l\u2019autre figure majeure de la deuxi\u00e8me g\u00e9n\u00e9ration Cr\u00e9tien. Probablement fils de Raulin I, c\u2019est lui qui op\u00e8re le transfert de la dynastie vers Paris. Son activit\u00e9 est document\u00e9e \u00e0 Paris \u00e0 partir des ann\u00e9es 1660-1670. Il s\u2019installe rue de la Ferronnerie, au c\u0153ur de la ville, non loin des Halles – un quartier rassemblant des artisans du m\u00e9tal et de la facture instrumentale. Jacques y est qualifi\u00e9 de \u201cma\u00eetre et marchand chaudronnier, faiseur de trompes\u201d[1]<\/sup><\/a>, t\u00e9moignant de son double statut d\u2019artisan d\u2019art et de commer\u00e7ant. Son implantation parisienne permet \u00e0 la famille Cr\u00e9tien de se rapprocher de la client\u00e8le royale et noble, Versailles n\u2019\u00e9tant qu\u2019\u00e0 une journ\u00e9e de cheval. Jacques I prend la rel\u00e8ve apr\u00e8s la mort de Raulin II en 1670, et c\u2019est lui qui va donner toutes ses lettres de noblesse \u00e0 l\u2019atelier familial. En 1670, il est sans doute d\u00e9j\u00e0 actif \u00e0 Paris. \u00c0 sa mort en 1691, un inventaire apr\u00e8s d\u00e9c\u00e8s de son atelier est dress\u00e9[2]<\/sup><\/a>. On y recense 124 cors \u00e0 un tour, 31 grands cors \u00e0 deux tours, 15 petits cors \u00e0 un tour et 60 cors en divers \u00e9tats (un, deux ou trois tours)[3]<\/sup><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Voir Contrat de mariage entre Charles Chretien et Genevi\u00e8ve Chrestien<\/a>
[2]<\/sup><\/a>  Renato Meucci & Gabriele Rocchetti, The Horn, Yale University Press, 2021
[3]<\/sup><\/a>  Renato Meucci & Gabriele Rocchetti, The Horn, Yale University Press, 2021<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Ces chiffres impressionnants t\u00e9moignent du volume de fabrication et de stock qu\u2019un atelier parisien de facture de cuivres pouvait atteindre \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9poque. Jacques I avait donc consid\u00e9rablement d\u00e9velopp\u00e9 l\u2019entreprise familiale, sans doute gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 des commandes r\u00e9guli\u00e8res de la Cour – \u00e9quipant les ma\u00eetres de chasse royaux, les fanfares militaires ou d\u2019autres nobles chasseurs. Le r\u00f4le exact de Jacques I aupr\u00e8s du roi est sugg\u00e9r\u00e9 par certaines inscriptions port\u00e9es sur les instruments de l\u2019\u00e9poque. Ainsi, un grand cor circulaire r\u00e9alis\u00e9 vers 1700 porte grav\u00e9 sur sa garniture : \u201cFAIT A PARIS PAR CR\u00c9TIEN ORDINAIRE DU ROI\u201d. Ce titre d\u2019\u201dordinaire du roi\u201d indique que la famille Cr\u00e9tien – tr\u00e8s probablement Jacques I dans les derni\u00e8res ann\u00e9es de sa vie, ou son successeur imm\u00e9diat – avait obtenu le statut de facteur attitr\u00e9 de la Maison du Roi. \u00catre \u201cordinaire du roi\u201d signifiait b\u00e9n\u00e9ficier d\u2019un privil\u00e8ge et d\u2019un titre officiel, gages de prestige et de revenus assur\u00e9s (comme le sera plus tard Joseph Raoux.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Une rare trompette circulaire de Raoux jou\u00e9e par Joseph-Gebhardt Kresser ?<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Cr\u00e9tien,<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cr\u00e9tien,<\/a><\/figure>\n
Cr\u00e9tien, Trompe de chasse Dauphine, vers 1700, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Charles Cr\u00e9tien<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Charles Cr\u00e9tien est la figure de la troisi\u00e8me g\u00e9n\u00e9ration, le petits-fils du fondateur Raulin I. Il est pr\u00e9sent\u00e9 dans les archives comme \u201cfils de d\u00e9funt Jacques Cr\u00e9tien\u201d lors de son contrat de mariage \u00e0 Paris, ce qui \u00e9tablit clairement sa filiation avec Jacques I[1]<\/sup><\/a>. N\u00e9 probablement autour des ann\u00e9es 1670, il prend la t\u00eate de l\u2019atelier familial apr\u00e8s la mort de son p\u00e8re. Charles poursuit et d\u00e9veloppe l\u2019\u0153uvre de ses a\u00een\u00e9s. Sous son \u00e9gide, la maison Cr\u00e9tien devient le fournisseur privil\u00e9gi\u00e9 des chasses royales de Louis XIV puis de la R\u00e9gence. Il h\u00e9rite certainement du titre d\u2019ordinaire du roi et l\u2019associe \u00e9troitement \u00e0 son nom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

En 1714, un inventaire de son atelier est effectu\u00e9 et r\u00e9v\u00e8le pas moins de 170 trompes neuves ou cors de chasse en cuivre jaune et rouge, avec leurs embouchures en argent pr\u00eates \u00e0 \u00eatre livr\u00e9es[2]<\/sup><\/a>. Ce chiffre consid\u00e9rable montre la capacit\u00e9 de production atteinte sous Charles, ainsi que la diversit\u00e9 des finitions (cuivres de teintes vari\u00e9es, embouchures de luxe en argent). Charles Cr\u00e9tien a su tirer parti de l\u2019essor de la trompe de chasse dans les ann\u00e9es 1700. C\u2019est en effet vers 1702-1715 que les cors de chasse, d\u2019abord utilitaires, commencent \u00e0 int\u00e9grer \u00e9galement le domaine de la musique[3]<\/sup><\/a>. Charles, en perfectionnant le mod\u00e8le et en r\u00e9pondant \u00e0 la forte demande, contribue directement \u00e0 cette \u00e9volution. Charles Cr\u00e9tien semble avoir \u00e9t\u00e9 le dernier repr\u00e9sentant direct de la lign\u00e9e active dans la facture d\u2019instruments. Son nom appara\u00eet encore dans des documents des ann\u00e9es 1720-1730. La dynastie s\u2019\u00e9teint vers 1737, sans doute avec sa disparition ou le retrait de l\u2019atelier. Il n\u2019y a pas trace qu\u2019un fils ait repris l\u2019affaire. N\u00e9anmoins, l\u2019h\u00e9ritage perdure indirectement avec des facteurs comme les Raoux<\/a> au XVIII\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, qui deviendront \u00e0 leur tour c\u00e9l\u00e8bres dans la fabrication des cors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Voir contrat de mariage MC\/ET\/CXVII\/144<\/a>
[2]<\/sup><\/a>   Renato Meucci & Gabriele Rocchetti, The Horn, Yale University Press, 2021
[3]<\/sup><\/a> Jo\u00ebl Bou\u00ebss\u00e9e, La trompe de chasse et Gaston de Marolles, f\u00e9d\u00e9ration internationale des trompes de France, 1979<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Notons enfin que d\u2019autres membres moins bien document\u00e9s de la famille Cr\u00e9tien ont pu \u00eatre actifs. Les archives mentionnent par exemple un Jean Cr\u00e9tien (neveu ou cousin de Charles), ainsi qu\u2019un certain Nicolas Cr\u00e9tien qui aurait vendu un grand cor en 1713 au c\u00e9l\u00e8bre veneur Marquis de Dampierre qui a donn\u00e9 son nom \u00e0 la trompe de chasse en r\u00e9[1]<\/sup><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

En 2018, une trompe de chasse \u00e0 deux tours et demi, estampill\u00e9e \u201cJEHAN CHRESTIEN \u00c0 VERNON\u201d<\/em> et provenant de la collection Samoyault avait \u00e9t\u00e9 vendue \u00e0 Vichy Ench\u00e8res.R\u00e9alis\u00e9e vraisemblablement vers 1700, elle portait \u00e9galement le poin\u00e7on du cerf de la famille Cr\u00e9tien et une fleur-de-lys sur la guirlande, sugg\u00e9rant qu\u2019il s\u2019agissait d\u2019une commande royale ou seigneuriale, ou que le facteur \u00e9tait ordinaire du roi. Ce grand cor enroul\u00e9 est l\u2019un des rares instruments attribu\u00e9s \u00e0 Jean Cr\u00e9tien, fils de Raulin I. D\u2019apr\u00e8s les recherches g\u00e9n\u00e9alogiques, deux membres de la famille portaient le pr\u00e9nom Jean. Le premier Jean, fils du fondateur Raulin I ; et le second Jean, probablement de la g\u00e9n\u00e9ration suivante, actif \u00e0 Paris d\u00e9but XVIII\u00e8me si\u00e8cle.[2]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ces personnages, mal document\u00e9s, t\u00e9moignent ainsi de l\u2019importance de la dynastie dont plusieurs membres op\u00e8rent simultan\u00e9ment vers 1700, sans qu\u2019il soit toujours ais\u00e9 de les distinguer. La famille Cr\u00e9tien forme donc une dynastie de facteurs de trompes issue de Vernon, qui aura travers\u00e9 trois g\u00e9n\u00e9rations et servi trois rois, de Henri IV \u00e0 Louis XIV. Leur nom reste attach\u00e9 aux d\u00e9buts glorieux de la trompe de chasse fran\u00e7aise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Renato Meucci & Gabriele Rocchetti, The Horn, Yale University Press, 2021
[2]<\/sup><\/a> Renato Meucci & Gabriele Rocchetti, The Horn, Yale University Press, 2021<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Une rare trompette circulaire de Raoux jou\u00e9e par Joseph-Gebhardt Kresser ?<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Trompe<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Trompe<\/a><\/figure>\n
Trompe de chasse deux trous 1\/2 de JEHAN CHRESTIEN, prob. d\u00e9b. XVIII\u00e8me – Collection Samoyault – Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 7 avril 2018 – \u00a9 Vichy Ench\u00e8res\/ Photo C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Les Cr\u00e9tien et l\u2019invention d\u2019un mod\u00e8le fran\u00e7ais<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Jean-Baptiste<\/a>
Jean-Baptiste Oudry, Louis XV chassant le cerf, d\u00e9tail du Portrait du Marquis de Dampierre, Mus\u00e9e des Augustins, Toulouse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cor<\/a>
Cor de chasse en laiton de forme demi-lune dit \u00ab grand cor \u00bb r\u00e9alis\u00e9 par un des membres de la famille CRETIEN
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 2 mai 2026
\u00a9 Vichy Ench\u00e8res\/ Photo C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\u00c0 l\u2019\u00e9chelle de l\u2019histoire de la facture des vents en France, les Cr\u00e9tien occupent une place singuli\u00e8re. Dans un contexte encore marqu\u00e9 par les traditions germaniques ou flamandes pour d\u2019autres familles de cuivres, ils semblent avoir contribu\u00e9 de mani\u00e8re d\u00e9cisive \u00e0 la d\u00e9finition d\u2019un mod\u00e8le fran\u00e7ais du cor de chasse. Leur importance tient \u00e0 la fois \u00e0 leur long\u00e9vit\u00e9, \u00e0 la qualit\u00e9 de leur production et \u00e0 leur capacit\u00e9 \u00e0 accompagner les grandes transformations de l\u2019instrument entre le d\u00e9but du XVII\u00e8me si\u00e8cle et les premi\u00e8res d\u00e9cennies du XVIII\u00e8me si\u00e8cle. Leur apport n\u2019est pas seulement technique, il est aussi esth\u00e9tique et symbolique. Les guirlandes cisel\u00e9es, les feuillages grav\u00e9s, les fleurs de lys ou l\u2019embl\u00e8me du cerf font de leurs instruments des objets de prestige autant que des instruments utiles. Leur usage s\u2019inscrit d\u2019abord dans la v\u00e9nerie aristocratique, mais l\u2019allongement des tubes et l\u2019\u00e9largissement des ressources harmoniques rendent possible une codification croissante des sonneries.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Sous Louis XIV, Philidor l\u2019a\u00een\u00e9 note les premi\u00e8res fanfares ; sous Louis XV, le marquis de Dampierre compl\u00e8te et syst\u00e9matise ce r\u00e9pertoire[1]<\/sup><\/a>. Le d\u00e9veloppement de la trompe de chasse comme instrument musical est donc ins\u00e9parable des perfectionnements apport\u00e9s par des ateliers comme celui des Cr\u00e9tien.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Les cons\u00e9quences de cette \u00e9volution d\u00e9passent d\u2019ailleurs le seul cadre cyn\u00e9g\u00e9tique. D\u00e8s les premi\u00e8res d\u00e9cennies du XVIII\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, le cor de chasse fait son apparition dans la musique savante, en France puis plus rapidement encore en Italie et dans l\u2019espace germanique. Vivaldi, Bach, Telemann et d\u2019autres utilisent les corni da caccia <\/em>ou leurs d\u00e9riv\u00e9s. Ainsi, les instruments issus de la tradition Cr\u00e9tien ont contribu\u00e9, indirectement mais de fa\u00e7on d\u00e9cisive, \u00e0 faire passer le cor de la for\u00eat \u00e0 la sc\u00e8ne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Jo\u00ebl Bou\u00ebss\u00e9e, La trompe de chasse et Gaston de Marolles, f\u00e9d\u00e9ration internationale des trompes de France, 1979<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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De Cr\u00e9tien \u00e0 Raoux, la filiation<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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L\u2019un des grands int\u00e9r\u00eats du cor en demi-lune propos\u00e9 \u00e0 Vichy tient enfin \u00e0 la perspective qu\u2019il ouvre vers les d\u00e9veloppements ult\u00e9rieurs de la facture fran\u00e7aise du cor. En effet, la dynastie Cr\u00e9tien s\u2019\u00e9teint, semble-t-il, vers 1737, mais les mod\u00e8les qu\u2019elle a mis en place et les savoir-faire qu\u2019elle a transmis continuent de vivre. Parmi les familles qui s\u2019inscrivent dans cette filiation, les Raoux occupe une place majeure. Aux XVIII\u00e8me et XIX\u00e8me si\u00e8cles, Raoux devient l\u2019un des grands noms de la facture des cors et trompes en France<\/a>. Leur production s\u2019inscrit dans une continuit\u00e9 manifeste avec celle des Cr\u00e9tien[1]<\/sup><\/a>.
La pr\u00e9sence, dans la m\u00eame vente du 2 mai 2026, d\u2019une trompe de chasse en r\u00e9 estampill\u00e9e \u201cRaoux seul ordinaire du Roi, rue Serpente \u00e0 Paris\u201d, dat\u00e9e du d\u00e9but du XIX\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, permet de rendre cette filiation particuli\u00e8rement sensible. Bien s\u00fbr, les formes ont \u00e9volu\u00e9, mais il existe entre le grand cor demi-lune de Cr\u00e9tien et la trompe Raoux une parent\u00e9 de fond. En \u00e9voquant Raoux \u00e0 la suite des Cr\u00e9tien, on retrace une m\u00eame histoire, celle de la transformation d\u2019un instrument de chasse en cor moderne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Jeremy Montagu, French Horn, Shire Album 254, 1990<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIl reste donc \u00e0 savoir \u00e0 qui revient l\u2019honneur d\u2019avoir invent\u00e9 cet instrument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cr\u00e9tien, ordinaire du roi, a allong\u00e9 les tubes de cuivre vers 1680 et fait la trompe de Louis XIV […] Elles furent employ\u00e9es tout de suite \u00e0 la v\u00e9nerie de Louis XIV […] D’autre part, la maison Raoux, qui existait depuis 1685, rempla\u00e7a celle de Cr\u00e9tien au d\u00e9but de 1696 ; c’est Raoux qui a fourni en 1723 les trompes de chasse en r\u00e9 du marquis de Dampierre […] La conclusion se d\u00e9gageant de tout ceci est d\u00e8s lors fort nette ; Cr\u00e9tien et Raoux doivent partager l\u2019honneur d\u2019avoir cr\u00e9\u00e9 la trompe en r\u00e9 que le marquis de Dampierre sortit en 1722 des diverses trompes d\u2019\u00e9glise pour la faire adopter \u00e0 la v\u00e9nerie du roi en ao\u00fbt 1723 et la voir ensuite, gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 Lebrun, autre fournisseur du roi, devenir en 1729, la Dauphine, nom qui disparut avec le Dauphin et ne fut remplac\u00e9 qu\u2019en 1818 par l\u2019expression d\u2019atelier \u201ctrompe Dampierre\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jo\u00ebl Bou\u00ebss\u00e9e, La trompe de chasse et Gaston de Marolles, f\u00e9d\u00e9ration internationale des trompes de France, 1979<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Une trompe de chasse en r\u00e9 de Raoux, estampill\u00e9e \u201cSeul ordinaire du Roi\u201d<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Trompe<\/a>
Trompe de chasse en R\u00e9 de RAOUX, d\u00e9but XIX\u00e8me
Vente du 2 mai 2026 <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Grand<\/a>
Grand cor demi lune estampill\u00e9 VILEDIEV
Ex collection Werner Flachs – Vente du 1er mai 2021<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Grand<\/a>
Grand cor demi lune estampill\u00e9 VILEDIEVEx Ex collection Werner Flachs – Vente du 1er mai 2021<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Instruments mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res – \u00a9 Vichy Ench\u00e8res\/ Photo C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Le grand cor de chasse en demi-lune propos\u00e9 \u00e0 Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 2 mai 2026 est un t\u00e9moin exceptionnel de la premi\u00e8re grande phase de la facture fran\u00e7aise du cor de chasse. Par ses caract\u00e9ristiques formelles, il peut \u00eatre rattach\u00e9 avec une forte probabilit\u00e9 \u00e0 la premi\u00e8re g\u00e9n\u00e9ration de l\u2019atelier Cr\u00e9tien de Vernon.
\u00c0 travers lui se lit l\u2019histoire d\u2019une dynastie de chaudronniers devenue dynastie de facteurs, le passage d\u2019un savoir-faire normand vers Paris et l\u2019\u00e9volution d\u2019un instrument de signal, \u00e0 la mise en place d\u2019un mod\u00e8le fran\u00e7ais du cor de chasse.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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THE DISCOVERY OF A GREAT HUNTING HORN BY CRETIEN<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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The old hunting horn occupies a unique place in the history of natural brass instruments. It was a signalling instrument before becoming a musical instrument, and it accompanied aristocratic and royal hunting practices for several centuries, before giving rise to the French hunting horn, and then paving the way for the modern orchestral horn. The Cr\u00e9tien family, who was first active in Vernon and later in Paris, played a major part in this evolution of the instrument. Despite their rarity, the horns attributed to them are among the most important witnesses to this history. We are therefore particularly delighted to present a new example, a large crescent-shaped horn, discovered in connection with the sales of wind and plucked string instruments on 1 & 2 May 2026.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Catalog<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Catalog to the collection of Signature guitars<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Sale on 30 April 2026<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Sale on 2 May 2026<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Contact<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Experts<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Version fran\u00e7aise<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The Cr\u00e9tien horn in the Vichy sale<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Cor<\/a>
Cor de chasse en laiton de forme demi-lune dit \u00ab grand cor \u00bb r\u00e9alis\u00e9 par un des membres de la famille CRETIEN
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 2 mai 2026
\u00a9 Vichy Ench\u00e8res\/ Photo C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The instrument discovered in connection with the Vichy Ench\u00e8res sales is a crescent-shaped brass hunting horn, known as a \u201cgreat horn\u201d. It bears the stamp \u201cR\u201d \/ [fleeing stag] \/ \u201cC\u201d \/ \u201cVERNON\u201d, which is also found on three horns held at the Mus\u00e9e de la Musique in Paris and attributed to Cr\u00e9tien P\u00e8re, i.e., Raulin I Cr\u00e9tien. This stamp suggests that the horn in the sale is by the hand of Cr\u00e9tien P\u00e8re and that it was made during the first half of the 17th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its particularly refined ornamentation and craftsmanship contain features typical of known instruments by the Cr\u00e9tien family. This applies to the bell, featuring at its edge an engraved scalloped garland decorated with five petal flowers, and the mouthpiece with its finely engraved foliage motifs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From its crescent shape, dimensions and proportions, we can deduce that this instrument is a great hunting horn from the first half of the 17th century.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Cor<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cor<\/a><\/figure>\n
Cor de chasse demi-lune dit \u00ab grand cor \u00bb, la famille CRETIEN, Vernon, 1\u00e8re partie du XVII\u00e8me – Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 2 mai 2026 – \u00a9 Vichy Ench\u00e8res\/ Photo C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Cor<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cor<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cor<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cor<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cor<\/a><\/figure>\n
Cor de chasse demi-lune dit \u00ab grand cor \u00bb, la famille CRETIEN, Vernon, 1\u00e8re partie du XVII\u00e8me – Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 2 mai 2026 – \u00a9 Vichy Ench\u00e8res\/ Photo C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The great crescent-shaped horn in the evolution of the hunting horn<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Diderot<\/a>
Diderot et d’Alembert, Atelier de fabrication de trompes au XVIIIe si\u00e8cle, reproduit dans Jo\u00ebl Bou\u00ebss\u00e9e, La trompe de chasse et Gaston de Marolles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Jean-Baptiste<\/a>
Jean-Baptiste Oudry, Les chasses royales de Louis XV, inv 7013, ch\u00e2teau de Fontainebleau, RMN Thierry Ollivier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Before becoming a fully-fledged musical instrument, capable of integrating into the orchestra or interpreting a particular repertoire, the hunting horn was first and foremost a signalling instrument. Its history dates back to natural horns, oliphants and hooting horns which, from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, were used to send signals in the realm of hunting, warfare or ceremonial occasions. The huntsman’s horn, small in size, produces a limited number of sounds and for a long time retained an essentially utilitarian function \u2013 that of alerting or signalling a stage in the chase \u2013 without fulfilling the true function of a musical instrument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe hunting horn is first and foremost a simple tool for the huntsman and especially the beater; it allows him to make himself heard over long distances by his hounds and those following the hunt, and later at the reaping. The beater sounds the horn for those more than a kilometre away, whereas the musician plays for an audience just a few meters away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jo\u00ebl Bou\u00ebss\u00e9e, La trompe de chasse et Gaston de Marolles, f\u00e9d\u00e9ration internationale des trompes de France, 1979<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

It was to increase the horn’s sound projection and acoustic range that the instrument was modified. Indeed, the longer the tube, the wider the harmonic range, and the more complex the sounds the instrument can produce. Early attempts at curved or partially coiled horns appeared as early as the Renaissance, but they do not seem to have immediately led to a fully established new type of instrument. It was only in the 17th century that the great crescent-shaped horn truly emerged, in the form of a model of medium size, whose proportions were between the old hunting horn and the multi-coiled horn. This instrument appeared in the classification of horns presented by Marin Mersenne in 1636[1]<\/sup><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Marin Mersenne, Harmonie universelle, 1636<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Harmonie<\/a>
Harmonie Universelle de Marin Mersenne en 1636<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The gradual replacement of natural materials with metal also allowed for a greater curvature and increased length of the tube, thus paving the way for larger instruments with expanded acoustic abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The crescent shape had the advantage of increasing the length of the tube while still allowing the instrument to be used for hunting, as it remained portable. Therefore, in the first half of the 17th century, it became one of the iconic instruments of aristocratic hunts. It is precisely within this period that the Cr\u00e9tien example in the Vichy sale finds its place, illustrating the fundamental transition between the signalling horn and the hunting horn under Louis XIV.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Raulin Cr\u00e9tien I and the family origins in Normandy<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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The Cr\u00e9tien family \u2013 sometimes spelled Chr\u00e9tien \u2013 originated in Vernon, Normandy (France). Raulin Cr\u00e9tien I is considered the founder of this dynasty of instrument makers, and was active from the beginning of the 17th century[1]<\/sup><\/a>. ]. His precise dates of birth and death are unknown, but what is certain is that he worked during the reign of Henry IV. Vernon, a town on the banks of the Seine between Paris and Rouen, was the cradle of his craft. Raulin I practiced the trade of coppersmith, specializing in the manufacture of hunting horns, which was a craft often associated with metalworkers at the time. It is possible that he collaborated with other regional metallurgical centres. Indeed, some horn-making techniques could have originated from renowned foundries such as that of Villedieu-les-Po\u00eales in Normandy[2]<\/sup><\/a>, as evidenced by the crescent-shaped horn stamped \u201cVILEDIEV,\u201d which was sold at auction at Vichy Ench\u00e8res in May 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Renato Meucci & Gabriele Rocchetti, The Horn, Yale University Press, 2021
[2]<\/sup><\/a> Renato Meucci & Gabriele Rocchetti, The Horn, Yale University Press, 2021<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Already at that time, horns made in Vernon by Raulin Cr\u00e9tien I bore the stamp \u201cR\u201d \/ [fleeing stag] \/ \u201cC\u201d \/ \u201cVERNON\u201d. His hallmark, the stag, is a hunting symbol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raulin Cr\u00e9tien I founded a true dynasty of brass instrument makers from Normandy, which distinguished itself for over a century, from approximately 1611 to 1737. Among his children, at least two of his sons were also horn makers. One was named Raulin, like his father, and was known as Raulin II; the other was named Jacques. A third, Jean, is also mentioned in recent research, although details of his life and work are not well known[1]<\/sup><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Renato Meucci & Gabriele Rocchetti, The Horn, Yale University Press, 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A large brass half-moon horn stamped Vilediev<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Cr\u00e9tien<\/a>
Cr\u00e9tien I, Cor, 1\u00e8re moiti\u00e9 XVII\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, E.792<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cr\u00e9tien<\/a>
Cr\u00e9tien I, Cor, 1\u00e8re moiti\u00e9 XVII\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, E.792<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cr\u00e9tien<\/a>
Cr\u00e9tien I, Cor, 1\u00e8re moiti\u00e9 XVII\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, E.217<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cr\u00e9tien<\/a>
Cr\u00e9tien I, Cor, 1\u00e8re moiti\u00e9 XVII\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, E.133<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cr\u00e9tien<\/a>
Cr\u00e9tien I, Cor, 1\u00e8re moiti\u00e9 XVII\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, E.133<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Mus\u00e9e de la Musique de Paris, cr\u00e9dits photos Thierry Ollivier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Raulin Cr\u00e9tien II<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Raulin Cr\u00e9tien II is part of the second generation. His date of birth is unknown, but he is known to have died in 1670<\/a>. He most likely worked alongside his father in the first half of the 17th century, learning the trade in the family workshop in Vernon. It is possible that Raulin II was responsible for expanding the production and clientele of the Cr\u00e9tien workshop. Indeed, during the reigns of Louis XIII and then Louis XIV, the practice of hunting with hounds became very prominent in French high society, creating an increased demand for hunting instruments of good quality. The Cr\u00e9tien family, as hunting horn specialists, took advantage of this to make a name for themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stamps \u201cRC\u201d and \u201cVERNON\u201d found on horns dating from the mid-17th century can be attributed to either Raulin I or Raulin II, as their initials are the same.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Under the direction of Raulin II, the workshop continued to innovate and adapt its instruments to the needs of hunters, gradually lengthening the horns and increasing their range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raulin II likely remained primarily active in Vernon throughout his career. However, the end of his life coincided with a significant geographical shift for the family: the establishment of a Cr\u00e9tien workshop in Paris. Indeed, Jacques Cr\u00e9tien I, his brother \u2013 or cousin \u2013 settled in Paris in the second half of the 17th century. Raulin II died in 1670, at a pivotal time when production began to move to the capital, the epicentre of royal commissions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Claude<\/a>
Claude Monet, Vue de l’\u00e9glise de Vernon, 1883, Giverny<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Raulin<\/a>
Raulin Cr\u00e9tien I ou II, Cor de chasse en demi-lune, vers 1600\u20131650, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Raulin<\/a>
Raulin Cr\u00e9tien I ou II, Cor de chasse en demi-lune, vers 1600\u20131650, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, d\u00e9tail<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Jacques Cr\u00e9tien I: From Vernon to Paris<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Adam<\/a>
Adam Frans van der Meulen, Louis XIV traverssant le Pont-Neuf, c.1660, Louvre, d\u00e9p\u00f4t Mus\u00e9e de Grenoble<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Jacques Cr\u00e9tien I is the other major figure of the second generation of the Cr\u00e9tien family. Probably the son of Raulin I, he is the one who brought the dynasty to Paris. His activity in Paris is documented from the 1660s \u2013 1670s. He settled on rue de la Ferronnerie, in the heart of the city, not far from Les Halles: a district bringing together metalworkers and instrument makers. Jacques is described there as a \u201cmaster and merchant coppersmith, maker of horns\u201d[1]<\/sup><\/a>, which denotes his dual status as craftsman and merchant. The move to Paris allowed the Cr\u00e9tien family to be closer to the royal and noble clientele, Versailles being only a day’s ride away. Jacques I took over after the death of Raulin II in 1670, and he is the one who brought prestige to the family workshop. By 1670, he was undoubtedly already active in Paris. Upon his death in 1691, a post-mortem inventory of his workshop was drawn up [2]<\/sup><\/a>. It listed 124 single-reach horns, 31 double-reach great horns, 15 single-reach small horns, and 60 horns in various stages of production (one, two or three turns) [3]<\/sup><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Voir Contrat de mariage entre Charles Chretien et Genevi\u00e8ve Chrestien<\/a>
[2]<\/sup><\/a>  Renato Meucci & Gabriele Rocchetti, The Horn, Yale University Press, 2021
[3]<\/sup><\/a>  Renato Meucci & Gabriele Rocchetti, The Horn, Yale University Press, 2021<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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This impressive list attests to the high volume of production and stock of a Parisian brass instrument-making workshop at the time. Jacques I had therefore considerably expanded the family business, undoubtedly thanks to regular orders from the Court \u2013 in order to fulfil the needs from the royal hunting masters, military bands and other noble hunters. Jacques I’s exact role with regards to the king can be ascertained from certain inscriptions found on instruments from that period. For example, a circular great horn made around 1700 bears the inscription on its accessories: \u201cFAIT A PARIS PAR CR\u00c9TIEN ORDINAIRE DU ROI\u201d. This title of \u201cordinary to the king\u201d indicates that the Cr\u00e9tien family \u2013 most likely Jacques I in the last years of his life, or his immediate successor \u2013 had obtained the status of official maker to the King\u2019s Household. Being \u201cordinary to the king\u201d meant enjoying privilege and an official title, guaranteeing prestige and a secure income (as was also the case for Joseph Raoux later).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A rare circular trumpet by Raoux, possibly played by Joseph-Gebhardt Kresser?<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Cr\u00e9tien,<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cr\u00e9tien,<\/a><\/figure>\n
Cr\u00e9tien, Trompe de chasse Dauphine, vers 1700, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Charles Cr\u00e9tien<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Charles Cr\u00e9tien, the grandson of Raulin I, is part of the dynasty\u2019s third generation. He is described as \u201cson of the deceased Jacques Cr\u00e9tien\u201d in his prenuptial agreement in Paris, which clearly establishes his lineage with Jacques I[1]<\/sup><\/a>. He was probably born around 1670, and took over the family workshop after his father’s death. Charles continued and expanded the work of his forefathers. Under his direction, the Cr\u00e9tien house became the preferred supplier for the royal hunts of Louis XIV and later the Regency. He most likely inherited the title of “ordinary to the king”, which he closely associated with his name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1714, an inventory of his workshop was drawn and revealed no fewer than 170 new hunting horns in yellow and red copper, with their silver mouthpieces, ready for delivery [2]<\/sup><\/a>. This inventory demonstrates the impressive production capacity achieved under Charles, as well as the variety of finishes produced (copper in various shades, luxury mouthpieces in silver). Charles Cr\u00e9tien capitalized on the rise of the hunting horn in the 1700s. Indeed, it was around 1702 \u2013 1715 that hunting horns, which were originally utilitarian in nature, began to be used in music as well [3]<\/sup><\/a>. Charles, by perfecting the design and responding to the strong demand, contributed directly to this development. Charles Cr\u00e9tien appears to have been the last family member active in instrument making. His name still appears in documents from the 1720s and 1730s. The dynasty came to an end around 1737, probably with his death or the closure of the workshop. There is no record of a son taking over the business. Nevertheless, their legacy lived on through makers like those from the Raoux family<\/a> in the 18th century, who would in turn become famous for horn making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Voir contrat de mariage MC\/ET\/CXVII\/144<\/a>
[2]<\/sup><\/a>   Renato Meucci & Gabriele Rocchetti, The Horn, Yale University Press, 2021
[3]<\/sup><\/a> Jo\u00ebl Bou\u00ebss\u00e9e, La trompe de chasse et Gaston de Marolles, f\u00e9d\u00e9ration internationale des trompes de France, 1979<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Finally, it should be noted that other, more obscure, members of the Cr\u00e9tien family may also have been active. There are mentions in historical documents, for instance, of a Jean Cr\u00e9tien (nephew or cousin of Charles), as well as a certain Nicolas Cr\u00e9tien, who is said to have sold a great horn in 1713 to the famous huntsman Marquis de Dampierre, after which the hunting horn in D was named[1]<\/sup><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2018, a hunting horn with two and a half turns, stamped \u201cJEHAN CHRESTIEN \u00c0 VERNON\u201d and originating from the Samoyault collection, was sold at Vichy Ench\u00e8res. It was likely made around 1700, and also bore the Cr\u00e9tien family’s stag hallmark and a fleur-de-lis on the garland, suggesting it was a royal or noble commission, or that the maker was ordinary to the king. This great horn is one of the few instruments attributed to Jean Cr\u00e9tien, son of Raulin I. According to research into the family tree, two members of the family bore the first name Jean. The first, son of the founder Raulin I; and the second, probably from the next generation, active in Paris at the beginning of the 18th century[2]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These lesser-known family members demonstrate the reach of the dynasty, with several of its members operating simultaneously around 1700, even though it is not always easy to set them apart. The Cr\u00e9tien family therefore formed a dynasty of horn makers originating from Vernon, which spanned three generations and served three kings, from Henry IV to Louis XIV. Their name remains closely associated with the glorious beginnings of the French hunting horn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Renato Meucci & Gabriele Rocchetti, The Horn, Yale University Press, 2021
[2]<\/sup><\/a> Renato Meucci & Gabriele Rocchetti, The Horn, Yale University Press, 2021<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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A rare circular trumpet by Raoux, possibly played by Joseph-Gebhardt Kresser?<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Trompe<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Trompe<\/a><\/figure>\n
Trompe de chasse deux trous 1\/2 de JEHAN CHRESTIEN, prob. d\u00e9b. XVIII\u00e8me – Collection Samoyault – Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 7 avril 2018 – \u00a9 Vichy Ench\u00e8res\/ Photo C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The Cr\u00e9tiens and the advent of a French model<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Jean-Baptiste<\/a>
Jean-Baptiste Oudry, Louis XV chassant le cerf, d\u00e9tail du Portrait du Marquis de Dampierre, Mus\u00e9e des Augustins, Toulouse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cor<\/a>
Cor de chasse en laiton de forme demi-lune dit \u00ab grand cor \u00bb r\u00e9alis\u00e9 par un des membres de la famille CRETIEN
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 2 mai 2026
\u00a9 Vichy Ench\u00e8res\/ Photo C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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In the history of horn making in France, the Cr\u00e9tiens occupy a unique place. At a time when other families of brass instruments were still marked by Germanic or Flemish traditions, they seem to have made a decisive contribution to the creation of a French model of hunting horn. The importance of their contribution stems from their longevity, the quality of their production, and their ability to adapt to the major transformations of the instrument between the early 17th century and the first decades of the 18th century. Their contribution is not only technical, but also aesthetic and symbolic. The chiselled garlands, engraved foliage, fleur-de-lis and stag symbol make their instruments objects of prestige as much as practical tools. Their use was initially confined to aristocratic hunting, but the lengthening of the tubes and the expansion of the harmonic range allowed for an increasing complexity of hunting calls.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Under Louis XIV, Philidor the Elder notated the first fanfares; under Louis XV, the Marquis de Dampierre completed and systematized this repertoire [1]<\/sup><\/a>. The development of the hunting horn as a musical instrument is therefore inseparable from the improvements made by workshops such as that of the Cr\u00e9tien family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, the consequences of this evolution extended beyond the realm of hunting alone. From the early decades of the 18th century, the hunting horn made its appearance in classical music, first in France and then at an even greater pace in Italy and the German-speaking world. Vivaldi, Bach, Telemann and others used the corni da caccia<\/em> or their derivatives. Therefore, instruments stemming from the Cr\u00e9tien tradition contributed, indirectly but decisively, to the horn’s move from the hunting grounds to the stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Jo\u00ebl Bou\u00ebss\u00e9e, La trompe de chasse et Gaston de Marolles, f\u00e9d\u00e9ration internationale des trompes de France, 1979<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The lineage from Cr\u00e9tien to Raoux<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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One of the very interesting things about the crescent-shaped horn presented in Vichy lies in the perspective it provides into the subsequent developments of French horn making. Indeed, it appears the Cr\u00e9tien dynasty came to an end around 1737, but the models it created and the craftsmanship it passed on continued to live on. Among the families that benefited from this legacy, the Raoux occupied a major place. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Raoux became one of the great names in the making of horns and trumpets in France<\/a>. Their production clearly shows the continuity with that of the Cr\u00e9tien family [1]<\/sup><\/a>.
The presence, in the same sale on 2 May 2026, of a hunting horn in D stamped \u201cRaoux, seul ordinaire du Roi, rue Serpente \u00e0 Paris\u201d, dating from the beginning of the 19th century, makes this connection particularly evident. Of course, the forms had evolved, but there is a fundamental kinship between Cr\u00e9tien’s great crescent-shaped horn and Raoux’s hunting horn. By mentioning Raoux after Cr\u00e9tien, we retrace the same history: the transformation of a hunting tool into the modern horn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Jeremy Montagu, French Horn, Shire Album 254, 1990<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIt therefore remains to be determined to whom the honour of inventing this instrument belongs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cr\u00e9tien, the king\u2019s ordinary maker, lengthened the copper tubes around 1680 and made the hunting horn for Louis XIV [\u2026] These were immediately used for Louis XIV\u2019s hunts [\u2026] On the other hand, the Raoux house, which had existed since 1685, replaced Cr\u00e9tien\u2019s at the beginning of 1696; it was Raoux who supplied the Marquis de Dampierre\u2019s hunting horns in D in 1723 [\u2026] The conclusion we can draw from all this is therefore quite clear: Cr\u00e9tien and Raoux must share the distinction for having created the hunting horn in D that the Marquis de Dampierre took, in 1722, from among the various church horns, to have it adopted for the king\u2019s hunts in August 1723 and then, thanks to Lebrun, another supplier to the king, to turn it, in 1729, into the Dauphine, a name that disappeared with the Dauphin and was only replaced in 1818 by the workshop term \u201cDampierre horn\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jo\u00ebl Bou\u00ebss\u00e9e, La trompe de chasse et Gaston de Marolles, f\u00e9d\u00e9ration internationale des trompes de France, 1979<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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A hunting horn in D by Raoux, stamped \u201cseul ordinaire du roi\u201d<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Trompe<\/a>
Trompe de chasse en R\u00e9 de RAOUX, d\u00e9but XIX\u00e8me
Vente du 2 mai 2026 <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Grand<\/a>
Grand cor demi lune estampill\u00e9 VILEDIEV
Ex collection Werner Flachs – Vente du 1er mai 2021<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Grand<\/a>
Grand cor demi lune estampill\u00e9 VILEDIEVEx Ex collection Werner Flachs – Vente du 1er mai 2021<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Instruments mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res – \u00a9 Vichy Ench\u00e8res\/ Photo C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The large, crescent-shaped hunting horn for sale at Vichy Ench\u00e8res on 2 May 2026, is an exceptional example from the first major period of French hunting horn making. Its features strongly suggest it can be attributed to the first generation of the Cr\u00e9tien dynasty in Vernon. Through this instrument, one can retrace the history of a dynasty of coppersmiths who became horn makers, the transfer of their craftsmanship from Normandy to Paris, and the evolution of the hunting horn from a signalling instrument to the creation of a French model.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\ude80 Suivez-nous !<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n