Thienemann-Stillfried / Schwarz 1400 + Helbing 1537 (both variants?); erlebnis ridinger 1698-1998, 18, with ills. – Not in Weigel + Coppenrath. – Bipartite typographic watermark. – With quatrain in German-Latin parallel text:

“ Dispise this field, and this innocent life, / Confused haughtiness! not, it knows to give you that, / What your eccentric splendour could never give you, / The innocence’s fatherland, the virtue’s clean course. ”

Known through the third appendix of 1876 by Stillfried only this

wonderful  large  sheet

is very rare as all mezzotints by Ridinger. Known here furthermore only the copy of the Ridinger collection of the Counts of Faber-Castell dissolved in 1958 and a further one, if not the same, from the early 60s.

While  the  one  here  differs  from  that  by  several  printing  deviations .

Of greatest rareness as the precious art of mezzotint only allows editions of about “50 or 60 clean copies, afterwards (the image) grinds itself off very soon” (Sandrart 1675). Accordingly Thienemann noted in 1856:

“ The mezzotints are almost not available on the market anymore. By the way all mezzotints worked by and after Joh. El. Ridinger are that rare that they are to be found almost only in some of the magnificent public print rooms. I met most of the described ones only in the famous Cabinet in Dresden … ”

Shortly :

That in the case here as outstanding additional factor of rareness a truly superb widemarginess of 9.7-10.3 on the sides and 4.5 and 5.6 cm resp. on top and bottom is added, is then just the last non-plus-ultra delighting the pretentious collector. Here thus

The lower margin minimally fissured. On the back slightly visible centre fold. – By a “very wide margin” excelled by the way in 1900 the copy of Helbing, valued with 70 gold marks as more than half ( sic! ) of what he rated a very fine copy of the 23-sheet set ( sic! ) of the Fair Game – 130 gold marks.

The attribution as a work after Boucher ( “Main master of rococo”, Jahn ) based on theme and appearance, further founded on Schwarz’ remark to 1463 (see the following sheet) “Copy in opposite direction after  Boucher’s  ‘Les amours pastorales’ engraved by Gaillard. Belonging to the set 1399 and 1400”, as supposedly 1461 (see below), too.
Offer no. 28,106 / EUR  1380. / export price EUR  1311. (c. US$ 1825.) + shipping

Schwarz 1463 with plate vol. 2, XXII (variant); Helbing 1539 (variant? The Schwarz copy?); erlebnis ridinger 1698-1998, 20, with ills. – Not in Weigel + Coppenrath. – Bipartite WANGEN watermark. – With quatrain in German-Latin parallel text:

“ The bird whistles and sings in captivity, / He collects comfort and spirit as he cannot change it / And Thyrsis imitates him, he looks for recuperated strength, / When his captured heart may name its yearning. ”

Not known to Thienemann and Stillfried.

Wonderful  large  sheet

valued by Helbing ( “Very rare mezzotint” ) in 1900 with 75 gold mark even nearer to his very fine copy of the 23-sheet ( sic! ) set The Fair Game (130 gold mark) than the “The Happy Shepherds’ Life” (70 gold mark, see above). Just as the one here was rated and payed for significantly more in the sale of the Count Faber-Castell collection (1958) than the latter one. Present moreover in the best preseved copy of of the four copies known here.

Centre fold barely recognizable from the front, a pin head sized scrape and an equal hole in the free outmost plate field of the text margin. The wide hite upper margin fissured and backed acid-freely. Independently of this contrary to – at least – Gutmann’s copy (the other two not illustrated here) in a

visibly  deviating  earlier  state .

The truly superb widemarginess of 9.3-10 on the sides and 4.8 and 5.5 cm resp. on top and bottom just the last non-plus-ultra delighting the pretentious collector. Here thus

Engraved in the opposite direction after  Boucher’s  ( “Main master of rococo”, Jahn ) “Les amours pastorales” in the engraving by Gaillard this station is in the person of the shepherdess a very charming development from “Happy Shepherds’ Life” also noted by Schwarz ( “Belonging to the set 1399 and 1400”, as supposedly 1461, too, see following). While there not just her face is vainglorious in accordence with the text, but the belle in general quite a reserved lady, we see her really relaxed here. Her face complete bestowal, leg shown, bosom anyway, the skirt folded back invitingly. But everything light and charming and of equal grace the shepherd.
Offer no. 28,108 / EUR  1467. / export price EUR  1394. (c. US$ 1940.) + shipping

Schwarz 1461 with plate vol. 2, XX (variant); erlebnis ridinger 1698-1998, 19. – Not in Helbing, Weigel + Coppenrath. – Typographic watermark. – With quatrain in German-Latin parallel text:

“ The envier eavesdrops on the faithful shepherd’s luck, / Why his malicious eyes reflects pioson and grievance? / He just tortures himself, and that may only laugh, / Could he only, as he wishes, complete his luck. ”

Not known to Thienemann and Stillfried.

Wonderful  large  sheet,

besides the one of von Gutmann here only provable with the copy of the collection of the Counts of Faber-Castell dissolved in 1958 (creased and trimmed to the image) for which for lack of an illustration marks of state cannot be compared. Here now with extremely wide margins and only a centre fold invisible from the front. The wide white lower margin fissured and backed acid-freely. Independent of this contrary to Gutmann’s copy in a

deviating  earlier  state.

The outstanding additional factor of rareness a truly superb widemarginess of 9.2-10.2 on the sides and 4.8 and 5.5 cm resp. on top and bottom just the last non-plus-ultra delighting the pretentious collector. Here thus

And as already in Shepherds’ Life and Captivity engraved in opposite direction after  Boucher’s  ( “Main master of rococo”, Jahn ) “Les amours pastorales” in the print by Gaillard.
Offer no. 28,107 / EUR  1380. / export price EUR  1311. (c. US$ 1825.) + shipping