Born in 1798 in Mirecourt in a family of luthiers for 5 generations, he was trained as a luthier like three of his four brothers, in the studio of his father Nicolas-François.

Very gifted, when the Parisian luthier Antoine Lété needed a worker to build the instruments of Francis Chanot, it was he who was sent there. He settled on his own account in 1825 at 30 rue Croix-des-Petits-Champs, and his ascension would not cease until his death. Very interested in new techniques, curious about anything that can make him progress in his trade, he will also have the chance to cross the road of Tarisio. This Italian second-hand dealer, collector of violins has one day decided to sell his treasures in Paris, where the musical life is intense. He possesses Stradivarius, Guarnerius, Amati, and many other instruments of Cremonese masters.