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; erlebnis ridinger 1698-1998, 18, with ills.

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) , R. list Rosenthal (1940).

Bipartite typographic watermark. – With quatrain in German-Latin parallel text:

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 :

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 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$ 1914.) + shipping

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