The  AHA!  Event  of  the  Month

Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). Obsidio et expugnatio (see below) Halicarnassi, urbis totius cariæ capitis. / The Siege (and Conquest) of the Capital Halicarnassus by Alexander the Great. The battle turmoil – with boar hound chasing along just in front lower left above of Ridinger’s inscription as such one also swims along on the 331 Tigris Crossing (see below) and on an Alexander drawing of 1723 “Ridinger hounds” also guard the signature, while in the riding school from 1722 two boar hounds watch over the exercises of Th. 620 – according to the following subtext in the first year of Alexander’s march, 334 BC, with Alexander on white horse (Bukephalos?) right in middle distance, giving orders to two warriors on foot. Engraving by Johann Daniel Herz I (1693 Augsburg 1754). In the mid of the 1720s. Inscribed: LXXXVII (platemark upper center) / Ioh. Elias Ridinger invent. et delin. (in the text margin lower left) / Senior Iohann Daniel Herz sculp et exc Aug. V. (in the subject margin lower right), otherwise in Latin-German as above and below. Sheet size 75.5 x 91.8 cm.

Thienemann 917 + Supplement pp. 296 ff. (“a sheet occuring now only rarely”, 1856); Schwarz 917 (recte state II of II instead of state I); Nagler, Ridinger, XIII, p. 162 ( “rich composition” ); Thieme-Becker XXVIII, 308-311: VII. Miscellania: (Two) battles of Alexander the Great; Helbing XXXIV (Works by J. E. and M. E. Ridinger, 1900) 1488 ( “Rare” ).

Not among the extensive Ridinger inventories at Weigel, Art Stock Catalogue I-XXVIII (1838/56), Coppenrath (1889/90) + Schwerdt (1928/35), as then also here through the decades present for the first time and likewise without knowledge of any other presence on the market.

(see below) in the second state after modification of the former inscription “Cum Privileg. Sac. Cæs. Majest. / Ioh. Daniel Hertz sculpsit / Hæred. Ieremiæ Wolffij excud. Aug. Vind.” as erroneously described as second state by Schwarz per 917a

of  marvelous  printing  condition  of  shining  chiaroscuro

with laterally tiny margin around the subject edge, below 3 mm below of the text and at top 5 mm above of the subject edge with the number not mentioned by Th. + Schwarz. – Old doubling with smoothening of former vertical center fold and of ultimately very good general condition as not the norm with such difficult-to-preserve oversizes –

the  impression  yet  from  but  one  ( sic ! )  plate !

Illegible blind stamp between the two columns of the subtext and aforementioned lot no. there in red. A small slight overinking at the left lower subject edge ending in one word each of the first two Latin text lines.

Early  work  of  Ridinger

created soon after his return – to be set not before 1719 – from the three-year stay with Baron (so Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie contrary to Kilian/Thienemann: Count) Metternich in Regensburg, when “all connoisseurs … admired his skill and strength in both historic and animal pieces” (Th.) while he nevertheless not yet worked in copper himself. So “at first there (he) painted several historical representations for the art dealer Dan. Herz” (Nagler; recte Jeremias Wolff, additionally proven for Herz, too, only 1732, see below), of these concerning Alexander besides the present Siege of Halicarnassus the 331 crossing of the Tigris at Bedzabde (Th. 918, see below) for the encounter with Darius (III, last of the Persian kings) with the decisive battle at Gaugamela near Abelas October 1^st. Both qualified by Nagler, who erroneously claims the crossing for the Granicus, thus knew the sheet at least without its subtext only, as “rich compositions”, they are at the same time

marvelous  examples  of  early  maturity  and  perfection

as already repeatedly stated by example of other early works (“therefore this drawing is of importance for the knowledge of his already perfect style in early years”, Nebehay 88,2 on the drawing for Th. 1 from 1721). Foremost, however, Ridinger’s

In such a manner military, local, and culture-historically of high rank the youthful Ridinger already documents with the scene of just this environment his full scent for the extraordinary situation, culminating only little later in the said Hyphasis drawing of 1723. By its size, however,

as by the way generally proven for the plates of the early years still engraved by others. Here then with provenance Counts Faber-Castell at brand-new-first time reappearance on the market after 48 years!

“ It  is  breathtaking  again  and  again  what  offers  you  can  make ”

so formerly an international publisher on occasion of another Ridinger offer here. – See the complete description.
Offer no. 14,869  /  price on request

Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). Zeuss. Engraving. Inscribed: J E R. 19.8 x 16 cm.

Th. + Schwarz 845; Counts Faber-Castell (1958) 59 in erroneous assumption of the belonging to the three sets of the “Different Presentations of some Figures from the Ancient Age suitable for History”, see 14,878 here as well as Thienemann’s updated sequence (1^st separate appendix, pp. 5 ff.), correspondingly Schwarz I, pp. 111 f.

not in Weigel, Art Stock Catalogue, pts. I-XXVIII (1838/57; more than 1000 R.-sheets of the engraved/etched work) , Silesian Ridinger Collection at Boerner (1885; “of greatest richness … many rarities”) , Coppenrath Collection (1889/90) , R. collection at Wawra (1890; besides 234 drawings 600 prints) , Reich auf Biehla Collection (1894; “Of all [R. collections on the market] since long time there is none standing comparison even approximately with the present one in respect of completeness and quality … especially the rarities and undescribed sheets present in great number”; 1266 sheets plus 470 doubles + 20 drawings) , R. catalogue Helbing (1900; 1554 nos.) , R. list Rosenthal (1940; 444 nos.).

The sides trimmed on up to within the platemark, thereby upper right till close to the edge of the subject. Above + below with 4-6 mm margin. – At the back at the margins old traces of mounting as well as three face sketches in pencil.
Offer no. 15,229 / EUR  345. / Export price EUR  328. (c. US$ 532.) + shipping

Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). Vos estis Lux Mundi Matth. 5. V. 14. Group of four of a pope + cardinal each as well as two bishops, the one in front with crosier, in three-quarter figure standing closely together, listening to the cardinal’s exegesis of “Narrantes carmina scripturarum Eceti. 44. V. 5” as to be read from the book he holds. The open page also grasped by the pope. In framework with flower-entwined rounded top with mussel-shaped cartouche as centerpiece. Mezzotint after details of two paintings by Peter Paul Rubens (Siegen 1577 – Antwerp 1640). Inscribed: Rubens pinx. / Ioh. Elias Ridinger excud. Aug. Vind., otherwise as above. 55.4 cm subject height x 47.4 cm plate width.

Thienemann 1289; Counts Faber-Castell 116 (“Rare”, 1958); Rosenberg, Rubens, 2^nd ed. (1906), 230 + 288 (erroneously paginated 228) with illustrations. –  See  initial  illustration .

Not  in Weigel, Art Stock Catalogue I-XXVIII (1838/57) , Coppenrath Collection (1889 f.) , Helbing XXXIV (Works by J. E. and M. E. Ridinger; 1900) , Schwarz (1910) , Rosenthal, Ridinger list 126 (1940) .

with all marks of 250 years passing through the waves of time. So then with particularly vertical visible as well as horizontal fold, the latter passing through the flower garland in the upper termination of the subject barely perceptible though, and in such a manner mounted by old on buff velin. Two sides with little margin of 5-9 mm, on the right trimmed to platemark, and below below of the inscriptions and the upper edge of the mussel-cartouche there with about 6-8 cm loss of the text plate intended for inscriptions of individual kind, though in the preserved copies usually unused and here then obviously regarded as dispensable for the picture. The principally very fine impression rubbed in tiny spots with small paper scrape off without loss of letters within the title-cartouche as well as a few hair-fine smoothed little pleats and small margin tears. All in all certainly close to be a ruin, but just as certain that in many cases ruins can be positive about very charming view. Just as in the present case

the  pictorial  charm  of  this  sympathetic  sujets

by which Ridinger after references to, i. a., Watteau, Roelant Savery, Jacob van Ruisdael once more shows his – here decidedly ingenious – proficiency to use influences which like princely and aristocratic dynasties just run through the arts, too, as already Goethe admitted for his own work.

Here  then  after  Rubens .

But while Thienemann – “The idea taken from Rubens’ painting” – just thinks of one model there are at least two.

Most conspicuously inspired by the right half of his “The Baptism of Constantine” (Rosenberg 230), effected by a pope whom two bishops and a cardinal assist, of these the latter in the second file like one of the two bishops with Ridinger.

Thematically and compositionally even closer though the group of six “The Defenders of the Lord’s Supper” (Rosenberg 288) within which the cardinal on the right indeed stands isolated from the pope with both the two bishops on the left, but likewise reading in opened book. And Ridinger’s lining of his group of four in above rounded and draped frame with mussel centerpiece quite corresponding to Rubens’ composition who arranges his scenery as on a stage, limited emphatically on both sides by two pillars each, above inside of the head architecture rounded like a kind of curtain and draped variedly including fruit with large musselpiece as centerpiece. And although Ridinger duly concludes his sheets of saints below rather generally with varyingly wide textfield with musselpiece, so in the present case this – here trimmed off – conclusion comes very close to that with Rubens who emphasizes the stage character of his composition by brickwork interrupted to the front/below by decorative piece.

“ What is not transformed by fantasy – Otto Modersohn notes in his diary in 1897 – remains poor copy” (quoted after catalog exhibition Fischerhude, 1978, page 347).

Here then Ridinger’s fully autonomous composition set under the beautiful word from the Sermon of the Mount “You are the World’s Light”, in ideas taken from two works of Rubens. And by this of additional documenting value with – for both Ridinger and Rubens – together high-ranking rarity.

“ The  mezzotints – Thienemann  resumes –

are  almost  not  available  in  the  trade  anymore

… all worked by and after Joh. El. Ridinger (are) that rare that they are to be found almost only in some public, grand print rooms. I have come across most of the described ones only in the famous print room at Dresden … ”

(pages VIII + 270.

A situation also possible new editions could change little as according to the expert Sandrart (1675) the technically conditioned extremely fast wearing off mezzotint plate only permits 50-60 good impressions.
Offer no. 14,872 / EUR  670. / Export price EUR  637. (c. US$ 1033.) + shipping

Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). Daniel in the Den of Lions. By example of Daniel, promoted in the Jew’s Babylonian Captivity and under the Persian Cyrus I calumniated by enviers and consigned to the den of lions, Jehovah, the god of the Israelites, shows his might, exciting the court on the gallery in unbelieving stupefaction. Brush drawing with wash in grey-blue + black with heightening in white for Johann Daniel Herz I (1693 Augsburg 1754; an “art publisher with an eye for quality” [Rolf Biedermann, 1987], “especially his sheets of large size shall be mentioned” [Thieme-Becker, 1923]). (1732.) Inscribed in sepia by the publishers: Jo El. Riedinger (sic!) inv et del 1732. 837 x 533 mm + 32 x 20 mm additional inscription field laterally lower right.

The preparatory drawing in reverse, pictorially lined with wide and narrow border, to plate Schwarz 1440 engraved by Johann Jacob Wangner (“Iun.”, c. 1703 Augsburg 1781) and known to literature only since 1910 by the copy of the von Gutmann Collection.

Contrary to the cataloguing Faber-Castell (erroneously furthermore as 1737) not signed in autograph the work

belongs  to  the  largest-sized  of  the  drawn  œuvre

and follows the bible’s tradition Book of Daniel, chap. 6 :

“ It pleased Darius (recte Cyrus the Elder, see complete description) … to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom. And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first … Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault … Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God … Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king (very sorrowful about the development) spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee … Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions … (a)nd cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: … is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? Then said Daniel … that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me … Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den … and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because  he  believed  in  his  God . ”

Just as this then also had the Babylonian Captivity (597-537, thus not “70 years” as Jeremy 25, line 11), anyway not to be mistaken as enslavement though still wearing the Jews down, grow to his people’s weal for it became

“ a period of purification from which the Israelites emerged both nationally and religiously as newly born. The contrast to the victorious, but degenerated paganism invigorated the nationalism and the religious belief … (I)nstead of a limited tribal god one learned to recognize in Jehovah the master of the universe

under  whose  mighty  protection  one  knew  oneself ”

(Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, 4^th ed., II [1888], 207).

Under the latter aspect the spectacular Den of Lions event proves to be, independently of its true chronological base, see below,

a theme which with respect to his insight drawing from 1723 on Alexander the Great’s decision at the Indian Hyphasis in 326 BC to return was to fascinate Ridinger even more so as according to biblical reading Daniel had prophesied the empire of a mighty king to be identified with Alexander to whom ten years before he had dedicated his Alexander cycle – besides the Hyphasis drawing The Siege of Halicarnassus (see above) and The Crossing of the Tigris (see below) published also in engraving by Jeremias Wolff Heirs and Herz I resp. – and which theme in the 30s he jointly with Brockes finally sounded the mort with the first four plates of the “Fights of Killing Animals”.

But also just by its size his

stands in context with those of the Alexander cycle of which, however, just only the two “heroic” ones had been engraved and published elsewhere for at that time not yet working in copper and publishing himself. Nevertheless the procedure remained the same, too, for the later Den of Lions.

Common to all those “outside works” their

exorbitant  rarity  even  as  engraving

as then also for the one of the “Den of Lions” no second copy is provable here since Schwarz (1910). Engraved it was expressively missing thus with Counts Faber-Castell (1958), too.

The paths of the preparatory drawings as the plates were – different from the works kept together by the Ridingers through the generations and finally handed over in good order – determined by changing publishers now sooner, then later and their being embedded into a mixed production finally lost in anonymity. On account of such handicaps

to which the condition of already the times of Faber-Castell with following preservation by just one careful hand has to be inferior.  See  complete  description .

in the following opulent inventories of Ridinger drawings …  See  complete  description .

Not least in this connection it shall also be reminded of Hans Möhle’s reference of already 1947 to which

“ the  special  accomplishment  of  German  baroque  lies  in  the  subject  of  the  drawing ”

as in more recent time Ruth Baljöhr drew the attention on again.

And thus remains as résumé

For today’s Jewry rests on just those pillars which are fruits of the, more correctly spoken, Babylonian Exile as co-source of also the Den of Lions manifestation based on one “for he believed in God”. For, it shall be repeated,

“ In fact the Jews lived quite peacefully and had plenty of opportunity to practice their faith in exile in Babylon.

The  synagogue  and  the  canonization  of  the  Torah

have  their  origins  in  Babylonian  Judaism ,

as , of  course , does  the  Babylonian  Talmud ”

(Bryan S. Rennie ,

By which the report of the Den of Lions event proves to be a combination of the religious hardships at the time of Antiochus with the historical characters of the Babylonian Exile. Because for the king anxious for Daniel inevitably the profaner and religious tyrant Antiochus is out of question while it is just the Persian Cyrus who became king of Babylon in 539 and in 538 issued

the  fate-turning  Edict  of  Cyrus

(comp. 2^nd Chronik 36, lines 22. f. and Book Esra 1, lines 1-3 resp.) as a

“ crucial  event  in  the  history  of  the  religion  of  Israel ”

(Rennie) as finally allowing the Hebrews the return to Israel.

Both facts, religious persecution under Antiochus and royal generosity under Cyrus, constitute the intellectual content of the Den of Lions experience and its message

See the complete description.
Offer no. 14,859  /  price on request

From  the  Opening  Year  of  the  Publishing  House

Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). Different Presentations of some Figures from the Ancient Age suitable for History invented and published. Set of 23 (instead of 24) sheet in three parts. Etching + engraving. Augsburg 1728. Inscribed: 10 sheet with varyingly ligated monogram (J?)ER, one of which with 1728 in reverse, otherwise as before with “First Part” set in front, followed by “Ioh. Elias Ridinger Mahler in Augspurg 1728”, all in Latein + German, otherwise as below. C. 18.3 x 11.6-12,4 and, 3^rd part, 16.6-17.3 x 10.6-11 cm resp.

Thienemann per actualization separate appendix 1, pp. 5-9: 836-843 (pt. I), 844, 852-855, 1304, 1305, 1307 (pt. II), 851, 856-859, 1306 (missing in present copy), 1318, 1319 (pt. III); Schwarz I, pp. 110-112 correspondingly with four ills. (p. 110 + pl. XXVII f.); Coppenrath Collection, pt. II, 1595 (“very rare”, 1889); Helbing XXXIV (Works by J. E. and M. E. Ridinger), 1459 (“Rare set”, 1900); Counts Faber-Castell (1958) 59 under erroneous inclusion of Th. 845 , just as a copy offered on the market in the early 80s as 30-sheet deemed the larger-sized own set 845-850 as belonging to.

Weigel, Art Stock Catalog, 18541 (only pts. 1 + 2 = 16 sheet, qualified as “Rare”, 1851); Rosenthal, Ridinger list 126 (1940), 345-355 (only 11 sheet). – Known here furthermore a 17-sheet torso from 2002.

(S. R., painter, etcher, poet + musician, Naples 1615 – Rome 1673; “Most famous became a set of 72 smaller study sheets, representing soldiers and folk types, after which there was copied a lot”, Thieme-Becker XXIX, 1), here without sheet 22 (Th. 1306). – For Th. 837 see the illustration in publications of the ridinger gallery niemeyer XV, page 10 on occasion of the not engraved 1723 drawing “Alexander the Great at the Hyphasis in Punjab in Autumn 326 BC – The Zenith of an Empire, a Turning Point of History” .

Mixed copy inevitably proving reverence to the rarity of the set of in the majority finest to extreme wide-marginess, only sheets 3, 6, 7, 10, 14, 15, 18, 21 + 24 with but narrow though mostly still c. 5-15 mm wide margin around the full plate, the first three of which mounted by old for no reason. – Of varyingly fine general preservation with following deviations: sheets 11-13 + 16 with extended light spot in margin and (11, 13, 16) image. Sheet 17 evenly slightly browned and with worm trace close to the right upper corner of the platemark.
Offer no. 14,878 / EUR  1780. / Export price EUR  1691. (c. US$ 2741.) + shipping

Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). The Hungarian. / L’Hongrois. Mezzotint by Johann Jacob Ridinger (1736 Augsburg 1784). Inscribed: Joh. Elias Ridinger del. / Joh. Jacob Ridinger sculps. A.V., otherwise in German-French as above. 51.4 x 42.1 cm.

Schwarz (1910) 1475 + II, plate XXXIV; Counts Faber-Castell (1958) 165; Wend, (Additions to the Definitive Catalogs of Prints), I/1 (1975), 107.

Not  in Thienemann (1856) + Stillfried (1876) , Weigel, Art Stock Catalog, pts. I-XXVIII (1838/57) , Coppenrath Collection (1889 f.) , Helbing XXXIV (Works by J. E. and M. E. Ridinger; 1900) , Rosenthal, Ridinger list 126 (1940).

About equal-sized repetition in reverse of his father’s mezzotint Th. 1236 (missing with Baron Gutmann/Schwarz), belonging to the 4-sheet set of conversation pieces as Thienemann’s 3^rd group “Genre Pictures of Mixed Kind” relinquishing the German-Latin subtext (“The Merry Hungarian dances to Drum and Shawm … ”). – With supposedly WANGEN watermark as standing for contemporary impressions. – With mostly little margin of 5 mm all around, on the right somewhat less wide and in the case of three tiny injuries running at the edge of the subject as likewise at two backed little missing spots of the upper margin. The reverse stipple-like foxing perceptible on the front in text + paper margin only. Of the backside waterstreak in both upper corners only one appearing in the left paper margin. – Of saturated printing quality with fine chiaroscuro.
Offer no. 14,880 / EUR  1380. / Export price EUR  1311. (c. US$ 2125.) + shipping

Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). (Alexander M. Tigrim superat … / Alexander the Great crosses with his Army … the Immense River Tigris … .) Alexander’s deeply staggered Tigris crossing “without important resistance” (Meyers Konversations-Lexikon) at Bedzabde 331 on the march to the encounter with Darius (III as above. Swimming along quite in front lower right above of Ridinger’s signature boar hound as already chasing along on the Halicarnassus sheet avove. Engraving by Johann Balthasar Probst (1673 Augsburg 1750) at Johann Daniel Herz I (1693 Augsburg 1754; an “art publisher with an eye for quality” [Rolf Biedermann, 1987], “especially his sheets of large size shall be mentioned” [Thieme-Becker, 1923]). In the mid of the 1720s. Inscribed: XCIV (platemark upper center) + 3 lines in the subject margin lower right: Senior Ioh. Dan. Herz excud. Aug. Vind. / Iohann Elias Riedinger (sic!) pinxit / (Iohann Balthasar Probst sculps.), otherwise with subtext missing here. Sheet size 47.6 x 76.8 cm.

Thienemann + Schwarz 918; Nagler, Ridinger, XIII, p. 162 ( “rich composition”, yet erroneously as “Crossing the Granicus” [battle there May 334], therewith not knowing the subtext up to the engraver [this copy?] as missing in his listing for Probst [XII, pp. 80 f.] ); Weigel, Art Stock Catalogue, XXVIII/Ridinger (1857) I, 61^c; Thieme-Becker XXVIII, 308-311: VII. Miscellania: (Two) Battles of Alexander the Great; Helbing XXXIV (Works by J. E. and M. E. Ridinger, 1900) 1489 ( “Rare” ).

Not  among the extensive Ridinger inventories at Coppenrath (1889/90) + Schwerdt (1928/35), as then also here through the decades present for the first time and likewise without knowledge of any other presence on the market.

as early work within his Alexander cycle as before.

On Ridinger’s part as evidenced by the autograph dating the Alexander cycle is concluded not later than 1723 by the Hyphasis drawing as periodical, with regard to the artist though predominantly intellectual zenith, as the latter also documented by the “Ridinger” hounds in each case close to the signature. In both battles of the early Alexander years, as almost reprehensibly missed by Thienemann, the in each case co-acting heavy boar hound, on the 326 insight scene grey + par force hound, in rest the one, alert the other, where with respect to the visible mutiny the boar hound would not have been misplaced either.

As evidenced by the Wolff Heirs address of the Halicarnassus sheet Schwarz 917a the plates have only been published after Wolff’s death in 1724 (Nagler’s precautionary remark “According to others he still lived 1730” not repeated by Thieme-Becker [1947]). By the heirs themselves obviously – all with the proviso of current knowledge – only Halicarnassus, because the present Tigris sheet (918) engraved by Probst bears already the address of Herz as publisher. The latter therefore should have taken over the plates soon after 1724.

Present scene then

“ An  exceedingly  rich , very  well-worked  sheet ,

the pendant to the previous one (Halicarnassus, s. a.). Alexander stands on the elevated bank, surrounded by some generals, pointing and crying, behind him (two) blowing buglers. With the soldiers tremendously fighting with the waves (just as already with the opponents) profound variety and truth ”

(Thienemann).

Two sides with tiny margin around the subject, above with 5 mm wider and here with the number not mentioned by Thienemann + Schwarz, below, however, trimmed close to the subject edge under loss of still the Probst signature, but foremost of the 4 lines Latin-German subtext by Curtius, book IV, chapter 9 –

„ Alexander the Great crosses with his army, of which the infantry held the weapons over the head and was surrounded by those on horseback, the immense River Tigris. He was the first who so arrived on the bank on foot, and shows those following the best way if one could not hear his voice ”

(quoted after Thienemann) – as else obviously neither known nor present to Nagler as otherwise he would not have erred about Granicus/Tigris and also had known Probst as engraver – on both see above – , that way then suggesting that

Tiny tear nearly 9 cm long in the lower field left of the center professionally repaired and barely impairing, otherwise, as with such large formats worth special mentioning,

The works of Johann Balthasar Probst, listed by Thieme-Becker only as reproduction engraver, as the or one of the progenitors of the Augsburg engraver + publisher dynasty qualified by Nagler as

“ belonging  to  the  best  of  that  time ”.

For the earliest of Ridinger’s riding schools from 1722 engraved jointly with the present Herz I he contributed nine of the totally twenty-three sheets. As son-in-law and successor of the renown engraver and publisher Jeremias Wolff in Augsburg Probst finally carried on his publishing house and attended to the first edition of the Halicarnassus plate still taken in by the father-in-law and engraved by Herz I.

With the no. 66 on the mounting board written in red as proof for the origin from the 1958 sale of the both in quality and in quantity high-ranking Ridinger Collection Counts Faber-Castell at brand-new-first time reappearance on the market after 48 years, accompanied

by  most  extreme  rarity

as generally proven for the plates of the early years still engraved by others. – See the complete description.
Offer no. 14,854  /  price on request

Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). The Human Tempers. Set of 4 sheet of confronting “characteristic figures in scenic environs” (Schwarz) in mezzotint. Inscribed: Joh. Elias Ridinger inv. del. sculps. et excud. A.V. (sheet 4: Aug. Vind.), otherwise as below. 49.8-50.2 x 36.6-36.9 cm.

Thienemann + Schwarz 1231, 1233, 1232, 1234; Counts Faber-Castell (1958) 92.

Not  in Weigel, Art Stock Catalog, pts. I-XXVIII (1838/57) , Coppenrath Collection (1889 f.) , Helbing XXXIV (Works by J. E. and M. E. Ridinger; 1900) , Rosenthal, Ridinger list 126 (1940).

The  rare  set  of  human  sensual  expression

with subtext of 5 lines German-Latin each, by Thienemann listed as 2^nd set of his group “Genre Pictures of Mixed Kind”, though in the sequence under neglect of – if present in his copy – the “N^o. 3.” lower center of the Joy sheet (1232) as only numbering, as likewise noted by Schwarz, from which Ridinger’s intention of a confrontation of the tempers of

results as also not recognized by Schwarz.

The  Laughing .

“ Mouth and eye testify for the popular things, / So this letter contains, and because for the delight the breast, / Too narrow, so it breaks out into a gracious laugh, / And makes by this the joke aware by loud sound. ”

Not perceptible backing of a pinhead-small little hole in the center of the subject as well as small backing of a tear at the left platemark. Barely worth mentioning completely smoothed out traces of folding.

The  Terror

“ When a panicky view falls into the eyes quickly, / The whole corpse freezes, the heart becomes a stone, / The mouth cries terribly, the features are distorted, / And from the fainting the mind turns up again slowly. ”

Rubbed impression, pervaded by completely smoothed out little folds, impairing though 16 cm of a horizontal center fold.

The  Joy

“ In what mood this one is discover hands, and feet, / Mouth, eye and brow shows of pure gaiety, / And that the heart runs over for delight and gracefulness, / Teaches mask and bright light, dedicated to pleasure service. ”

Three backed little holes and a likewise small thin spot, neither one perceptible from front, in contrast to, though little impairing only, two completely smoothed out vertical center folds.

The  Rage.

“ The heart burns by fury, as lightning the eyes blaze, / The nose swells, the mouth pales and trembles, / The teeth gnashes, the tongue swears as together, / Till finally hand and sword are raised for the revenge. ”

Rubbed impression, several repaired small(er) injuries, but only one of them perceptible only up to a point from the front. Backed corner tear off lower left, touching the J of the signature. Feeble vertical fold and some tiny folds completely smoothed out, but perceptible.

All with WANGEN watermark as standing for contemporary impressions and surrounding margin of about 5-8 mm, only sheet four below somewhat less. The basically very fine printing quality occasionally impaired by the respective state of preservation, the chiaroscuro very fine till shining, the rarity proverbial.
Offer no. 14,881  /  price on request

Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). Pastor bonus. Christ as Good Shepherd with crook. Mezzotint by Johann Jacob Ridinger (1736 Augsburg 1784). Inscribed: Ioh. Iacob Ridinger sculps. / Ioh. El. Ridinger del. A. V., otherwise as above. 50.5 x 36.9 cm.

Thienemann + Schwarz 1270 (comp. Schwarz II, pl. XLI as “Variant”, recte first state, 1488); Counts Faber-Castell (1958) 108.

Not  in Weigel, Art Stock Catalog I-XXVIII (1838/57; there only per 18,543 a Pastor bonus in octavo) , Coppenrath Collection (1889 f.) , Helbing XXXIV (Works by J. E. and M. E. Ridinger; 1900), Rosenthal, Ridinger list 126 (1940) .

The pictorially tremendously sympathetic sujet in a marvelous copy of shining chiaroscuro

as  hitherto  not  recognized  second  state

with otherwise minimal deviations distinguishable by the stylistically developed cartouche in the lower, otherwise empty, text field, as routine faux pas expressly regarded by Schwarz as Baroque cartouche as with its mussel decoration and the curved lateral guidance with ornamental foot actually correct for 1488 only. Present one, however, with exception of the lateral, though likewise simplified vine-leafs stripped of any decoration and also laterally closed plain-austerely. In the lower margin of it the upper delineation of the lower of the two previous mussels still tenderly visible.

With WANGEN watermark as standing for old impressions and with margins of 3-5.5 cm on all sides with partially still slight plate dirt in the lateral and lower platemark. The completely smoothed out former center fold not perceptible from front.
Offer no. 14,876 / EUR  1995. / Export price EUR  1895. (c. US$ 3072.) + shipping

Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). Presentation of both Roman as Grecian War Folks from my Academic Drawings for the Use chosen and designed according to the Age. Plates 1-12 + 17 (of 18) in etching + engraving by Martin Elias Ridinger (1730 Augsburg 1780). Not before 1759. Inscribed: 1. to 12. + 17. / Mart. El. Ridinger Filius æri incid. (pl. 1), otherwise M. E. Ridinger sc. and, pl. 17, J. El. Ridinger inv. del. et excud. Aug. Vind. / J. Gottfrid Seuter sc. A.V. resp., otherwise in German as above, followed by “, by Johan(n) Elias Ridinger Painter and Engraver also Director of the Academy.“ C. 17-18.8 x 10.5-12.5 cm as once plate, then sheet size, see below, and (pl. 17) 19.6 x 13.2 cm resp.

Thienemann + Schwarz (I, plate XXVIII) 860-871 + 876 (of 860-877); Counts Faber-Castell (1958) 60; Helbing XXXIV (Works by J. E. and M. E. Ridinger; 1900), 1481 (only Th. 873 as pl. 14, correspondingly qualified “Rare.”); Rosenthal, Ridinger list 126 (1940), 356 (only Th. 871 as pl. 12). – 11 pen-and-ink drawings to this, two of which dated with 1753 and 1756 resp., figured as lot 122 on the 1890 Wawra sale “of a fine collection of drawings and engravings by Joh. El. Ridinger from the possession of a known collector”.

Neither  as a whole nor in single sheets in Weigel, Art Stock Catalog, pts. I-XXVIII (1838/57) + Coppenrath Collection (1889 f.). – A partly trimmed and mounted torso of 8 sheets here proven in the trade of 1956. Present then Castell’s with 13 sheets the clearly more sumptuous one

in a mixed copy as most telling proof of the difficulty of even a sheet-by-sheet bringing together, whereby the partly original arrangement of each two sheets side by side with parting line on one plate conditioned the loss of one lateral platemark each with normally enough white platemark remaining when – as here – scattered. Assuming this just as evenly fine quality of impression on buff laid paper the following preservation results:

Sheets 1, 2 (three small corner defects in the white platemark done), 5 (done corner defect upper left), 6 (done small corner defect upper right impairing the number), 9 + 10 (tear reaching just under 2 cm into the lower image hatching done just as a small tear out in the upper margin concerning the number, on the right, however, deviatingly additionally with paper margin 1 cm wide) trimmed on and within the platemark resp. with said white papermargin nevertheless 5-10 mm wide. Plates 3 (slight brown spot in the upper margin still touching the platemark), 4, 7 + 8 on three sides with paper margins 1.8-2.8 cm wide, one lateral margin each as before. Plates 11 + 12 trimmed to the subject edge on three sides with loss of the numbering, below, however, with 5-8 mm white platemark preserving the signature, but without its closing edge. Sheet 17 finally reconciling with everything: full platemark on all sides and paper margin 4 to 5.5 (below) cm wide all around!

Published not before 1759 as the year of the appointment to the office of a director of the Augsburg Academy, the set was obviously created peu à peu during the 50s. Nevertheless the richly staged warrior of sheet 17 has his predecessor in the not engraved drawing of 1723 “Alexander the Great at the Hyphasis in Punjab in Autumn 326 BC – The Zenith of an Empire, a Turning Point of History” he holds back the mutineers pressing forward against the king. See their confrontation in publications of the ridinger gallery niemeyer XV, page 14.
Offer no. 14,879 / EUR  1300. / Export price EUR  1235. (c. US$ 2002.) + shipping

But  yes  indeed ,

you will remember the Final’s  FUTURUM  arrow of Schwarz 1427/77 fluttering full of confirmed confidence , to stalk

even  the  Ridinger  of  the  hunt

can still be exciting in future, too, and e. g. here + today

bring  a  trophy  into  sight

as  it  not walked into the trap of Ridinger hunters like Weigel (1838/57) , Ritter von Gutmann (1910) , Schwerdt (1928/35)  and  just  also  neither  Counts Faber-Castell  nor  Count  Radulf  of  Castell-Rüdenhausen. And Thienemann only subsequently between 1857 + 1861. And then only again and identical (?)

your  ridinger  gallery

with the scent for the absolute. And the own standing to make the impossible that, as being hidden in the appendix, is widely

„ Danke für den wunderbaren (Ridinger-)Scan … der meine Argumentation zur Verwechslung in der Staffierung der Porzellane dokumentarisch bestens belegt. Darf ich um Ihre Zustimmung bitten, ihn in meiner Arbeit zeigen zu dürfen? “

(Herr J. R., 7. Juni 2004)