Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). S. Matthew. The evangelist in plate-filling figure in landscape scenery, turned to the right and pointing there, but looking to the left, the left resting on closed folio, below of which a genius suggestively – though “as a little anachronism”, so Thienemann – keeps ready pen + inkstand. Mezzotint. Inscribed: Ioh. Elias Ridinger sculps. et excud. Aug. Vind., otherwise in German as above. 51.2 x 37.4 cm.
Provenance
Counts Faber-Castell
their Ridinger sale 1958
with its lot no. 104
on the underlay carton
Radulf Count of Castell-Rüdenhausen
(1922-2004)
Thienemann + Schwarz 1261; Rosenthal, Ridinger list 126 (1940), no. 415; Counts Faber-Castell (1958) 104.
Not in Weigel, Art Stock Catalogue I-XXVIII (1838/57) , Silesian Ridinger collection at Boerner XXXIX (1885) , Coppenrath Collection (1889 f.) , Reich auf Biehla (1894) , Gg. Hamminger (1895) , Helbing XXXIV (Works by J. E. and M. E. Ridinger; 1900).
The initial sheet of the completely extremely rare 4-sheet set of the evangelists of which also Faber-Castell had but 3 sheets, and count Radulf only 2 sheets (his S. John here available). – With slightly stained margins 5-12 mm wide round about (above frayed out, the right lower corner torn off up to the platemark). On the back stained laterally and on the right with provident running through vertical narrow backing in respect of minimal tiny folds in the lower region. A barely perceptible trifling box pleat also horizontally from front left up to the center. Otherwise several spot-like scrape offs. The platemark broken on 8 cm upper right backed acid-freely just as a small margin tear reaching a little into the subject and, providently, a small trace of squeezing below of the evangelist.
The impression itself rich in contrast as not going without saying for the old mezzotints as according to expert Sandrart (1675) the technically conditioned extremely fast wearing off mezzotint plate permits 50-60 good impressions only.
Correspondingly already in 1856 Thienemann, pages VIII + 270 :
“ The mezzotints 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 … ”
Offer no. 14,958 / EUR 390. / export price EUR 371. (c. US$ 505.) + shipping
„ Sehr geehrter Herr Niemeyer, Grüß Gott,
Ihre Graphiksendung ist wohlbehalten angekommen. Ich habe mich sehr gefreut über die Schönheit der Blätter und ihren ausgezeichneten Erhaltungszustand. Vielen herzlichen Dank. Mit diesen Blättern kann ich in den entsprechenden Folgen einige schmerzliche Lücken schließen … Nachdem ich Kassensturz gemacht habe, der günstig ausgefallen ist, folgt hier eine weitere Bestellung … Ich hoffe, dass die Blätter nicht inzwischen verkauft wurden …
Mit freundlichen Grüßen nach Padingbüttel “
(Herr W. G., 3. August 2009)