In every Aspect a Trouvaille by the Master ,
here after Boucher
Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). The Happy Shepherds’ Life. / Vita pastoritia felix. The languishing shepherd-gallant at the feet of his yet very superior shepherdess and pointing at the grapes brought along for her. On the left before a cabin a shephard leaning onto the back of a bull, all around sheep and at the feet of his master the hound. Mezzotint (after François Boucher, 1703 Paris 1770). Inscribed: J. E. Ridinger exc. Aug. Vind., otherwise as above. 42.5 x 53.4 cm.
Th.-Stillfried + Schwarz 1400; Reich auf Biehla Collection 286 (“Somewhat waterstained … With wide margin. Of greatest rarity”, 1894); Ridinger Cat. Helbing (1900) 1537.
Not in Thienemann (1856) , Weigel, Art Stock Catalogue, pts. I-XXVIII (1838/57) , Silesian Ridinger Collection at Boerner (1885) , Coppenrath Collection (1889/90) , R. collection at Wawra (1890) , Hamminger Collection (1895) , R. list Rosenthal (1940).
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. ”
Wonderful large sheet
“of greatest rarity”
established through the third appendix of 1876 by Stillfried only. Known here aside from the ones of the literature above only the copy of Counts Faber-Castell (1958) and a further one, if not the same, from the early 1960s.
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 :
The whole delicacy of the mezzotint technique –
here you have it .
That in the case here as outstanding additional factor of rareness atruly superbly wide margins of 9.7-10.3 on the sides and 4.5 and 5.6 cm resp. on top and bottom are added, is then just the last non-plus-ultra delighting the pretentious collector. Here thus
the rarity as such – the significantly deviating early impression –
wonderful chiaroscuro + enormous margins .
The lower margin minimally fissured. On the back slightly visible centerfold. – 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 28,108 here) “Copy in opposite direction after Boucher’s ‘Les amours pastorales’ engraved by Gaillard. Belonging to the set 1399 and 1400”, as supposedly 1461 (28,107 here), too.
Offer no. 28,106 / EUR 1380. / export price EUR 1311. (c. US$ 1786.) + 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)