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.

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) , 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). At 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$ 516.) + shipping

„ heute kam das Paket – vielen Dank für die excellente Verpackung. Das Bild ist wirklich sehr schön … Wir freuen uns auf Ihre (weitere) Nachricht. Herzliche Grüße aus F. “

(Herr + Frau T. C., 13. Mai 2002)