Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). St. Barbara. Half-length portrait sitting frontally to the left of the richly dressed Saint Barbara in the glory with crown + pearls, holding the chalice in the raised right above which the host floats in a glory. The left resting on the cross-grip of a sword as symbol of her dying. Mezzotint. Inscribed: Ioh. Elias Ridinger excud. Aug. Vind., otherwise, in large shell cartouche in the lower margin, as above. 56.8 x 41.3 cm.

Schwarz 1538 with illustration. – Version not known to Thienemann (1856) + Stillfried (1876) and with exception of Baron Gutmann (Schwarz, 1910) here not proven else. – Variant to Th. 1287 with the sword instead of the palm leaf there. – Stillfried + Schwarz 1418 record without mentioning the crown here an otherwise obviously almost identical, also equal-sized version, but without any inscription (this also only and as already “extremely rare” at Coppenrath in 1889 + at Counts Faber-Castell in 1958, too; pre-state of 1538 here?), in which Stillfried possibly sees a pendent to the 1419

St.  Catherine  as  the  sacral  twin  sister

(see its version 1554 here per 28,401). – Per corner mounting by old hand laid on heavy hand-made paper slightly browned at three outer margins. – Nearly on all sides with tiny paper margin. – Small worm trace in the free outer field top right.

of a cultivated collection of perfectly bright chiaroscuro in all parts. And in such a manner of quite extraordinary rarity not only on the market as quoted above, but in general, too. Already in 1675 the expert von Sandrart numbered “clean prints” of the velvety mezzotint manner at only c. “50 or 60” (!). “Soon after (the picture) grinds off for it not goes deeply into the copper.” Correspondingly Thienemann in 1856 :

which subsequently remained unknown to Count Stillfried 20 years later, too!

The  also  pictorially  timelessly  marvellous  patronage  plate

of the “Stranger” (probably about 290 till 306) from, so the legend, Nikomedia in Asia Minor, first locked up by her father in a tower because of her beauty, then beheaded by him for her Christianity. December 4^th is dedicated to her churchly commemoration. But

throughout  the  year  she  is  the  patroness  of  the  warriors ,

especially the artillerists, is invoked for protection against storms whose lightnings once had burnt the father after his criminal act, and by all those threatened by an even impenitent death, but especially of miners in the adit and tunnel constructors.

And “(o)n French men-of-war the powder cabinet charged to her protection was called Sainte-Barbe” (Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, 4^th ed. II, 357).

Her worship itself, roughly screened under inclusion of missionary work, in the last analysis worldwide. But center is, originating in the Middle East from demonstrably 5^th century, the Old World in its whole ramification owing to crusades, trade + Hansa. In other words, up to Ireland’s western coast, to Saint Petersburg, Kiew, Eriwan, Alexandria, Tunis, Spain’s western coast + north (6^th cent.).

And generally Barbara finally belongs to that “exclusive company of heavenly intervenists – or spoken protestantly: heavenly models – ” which quite topically though “already since some time (the) historians (have) rediscovered … (and) scientifically reanimated” (Peter Burschel reviewing of Brad Stephan Gregory’s “Salvation at Stake – Christian Martyrdom in Early Modern Europe” in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung of Aug. 2, 2000). – See the complete description.
Offer no. 28,400  /  price on request

„ Best her Niemeyer, De prenten zijn vanmiddag in goede staat gearriveerd. Alleen al het uitpakken is een genot! Ze zien er prachtig uit (vooral The Idel 'prentice is een juweel) … Wat dat betreft, zijn eigenlijk alle prenten die u mij hebt toegezonde, van uitstekende kwaliteit … “

(de heer P. E., 1. Februar 2008)