Early Impression of the Dukes of Arenberg
not known to Literature
with their Blue Collection Stamp
CH(RISTUS). PROTECTOR MEUS
Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). Le Leopard est semblable au Tigre. The Leopard is equal to the Tiger. A couple of leopards with their two cubs in rocky ambience. Etching and engraving. (1736.) Inscribed: Cum. Priv. Cæs. Majest. / I. El. Ridinger. inv. pinx. Sculps. et excud. Aug. Vind., otherwise as above in German, French, Latin, & below. 34.9 x 43 cm.
Cf. Thienemann + Schwarz 229. – Sheet 34 of the STUDY OF THE WILD ANIMALS with the 20-lines subtext of the Hamburg pope of poets, jurist & senator, foremost, however, friend of Ridinger’s, Barthold Heinrich Brockes (1680-1747), in German. – With floral & typographic watermarks. – Margins 2.5-4.3 cm wide.
The early impression re-numbered to 34
of the dukes of Arenberg as unknown to literature
with their oval blue
armorial collection stamp
C H(RISTUS). PROTECTOR MEUS
along with the three medlar blooms
(Lugt 567) on the back. From the gigantic print collection fed again and again by new generations of Lower Rhine-Westphalian-Belgian dukes originating in Arenberg (Aremberg) in the county of Adenau/Ahr 40000 (sic!) sheet in 669 lots had been sold at auction in London 1902, which were divided especially among the trade. The part captured by the house of Gutekunst staged a separate sale in Stuttgart the other year.
“ A longing desire to cut up , what he sees … What is besides not for beauty , to see at the animals’ hide ! But at this beauty I have , unfortunately one thing to confess … that , not only with animals , beauty and malice are often united ; Oh how often is among humans , under a beautiful skin , also a leopard’s spirit , full of envy and wrath , found .”
The identification of leopard & tiger (“… as one not yet knew to distinguish properly between [these]”, B. Vignier 1676) corrected by Th. to: Leopard or Panther.
PAINTERLY-FINE SHEET
– not by chance already in 1901 Ernst Welisch qualified Ridinger as the indisputably “most important Augsburg landscapist of this time” – here
of shining-marvelous quality & therefore rarity ,
for even in exemplary old Ridinger collections the old impressions of particularly this so fine large-sized main set frequently figure as closely trimmed, damaged, and fully mounted or one even could get hold of the sheets as new impressions of about 1850 only, as present sujet 1894 with Reich auf Biehla and at least without platemark 1889 with Coppenrath, too, while it remained a desideratum for the rich Silesian Ridinger collection 1885 at Boerner XXXIX.
Offer no. 15,436 / EUR 890. / export price EUR 846. (c. US$ 1152.) + shipping
– – – The same as impression of shining-marvelous quality of the final state with the number “34.” above right. – More …
Offer no. 15,598 / EUR 690. / export price EUR 656. (c. US$ 893.) + shipping
“ I am curious as to the history of this (original Ridinger printing-)plate (just I bought) and the others you have offered. Did you purchase them from the Ridinger estate (indirectly, indeed) or a private collector? These are truly rare one of a kind pieces ”
(Mr. L. A. F., October 28, 2003)