RIDINGER’S

Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). Evangelische Kirchen Visitation. View through a curtain hold together at the top by rocaille title-cartouche with palm branches onto a meeting of the consistory with Luther and his sovereign at the center of the assembled secularity and clergy disputing and studying writings under the maxim John V, 39 “Look for in the Book” composed “stage-like in the sense of a closed scene” (Schöne). The inner circle at the table in the center, the outer in a wide semicircle. Between the upper windows of the otherwise covered walls paintings to I Sam. VII, 16 / II Kings 11, 1, 4 + 5 / Matt. IX, 35 / Acts VIII, 14 + Acts XV, 36. Etching by Johann Jacob Kleinschmidt (1687 Augsburg 1772). (1727.) Inscribed in the plate: Elias Riedinger (sic!) delin. / Ioh. Iacob Kleinschmidt Sculpsit, otherwise as above. 23.6 x 31.7 cm.

That is as proof and state of Stillfried (1876) + Schwarz (1910, Ridinger-Collection Ritter von Gutmann) 1381; Reich auf Biehla 282 ( “Backed. / Interesting sheet … Extremely rare”, 1894 ! Without state detail.); Boerner CXXII, 1385 (the copy of Conte Constanza C…..a, Milan, “Utmost scarce”, 1913, without state detail) + Wend, Additions to the catalogues raisonné of prints, I, 1 (1975), 43:

The picture worked in the context of the “Augsburg Peace Paintings” (1650/1-1789) is intended for the annual gift of 1728. Whereby the accompanying typographic text “is only glued in many cases” (Gode Krämer; in this manner the copies Stillfried, Schwarz, Faber-Castell), and thus printed seperately. With the copy of The Augsburg Municipal Art Collections it is printed on the back of the etching.

The copy here, too, has the text on the back – but it is the text for the “Peace Painting” of 1727 engraved by Steidlin after Thelott!

The title text in much more spacious typography and in a different order, the initial bigger, deviating the order of the text, and additionally with a more reserved border decoration just between the two columns instead of the broad side, middle, and lower borders on the known backside texts of 1727 + 1728 also widely corresponding in their typesetting. Thus

Generally not in Thienemann (1856); Weigel, Kunstlager-Cat., parts I-XXVIII (1838-1857); (Ridinger-)Catalogue Helbing XXXIV (1900, 1554 items!).

Watermark: crown over coat-of-arms. – In the upper left corner of the broad white margin repaired triangular tear of c. 1-1.5 cm, the upper margin with slim trace of dirt, absolutely smoothed center fold not visible from the front, otherwise quite untouched. – On the back 2 columns of 50 lines of typographic text :

Following an outline of the history of the reformation, its spreading over northern Europe and its victims (see the German version for comprehensive quotations).

Besides 79 years Peace of Westphalia the most eminent historical background of the remembrance by the Augsburg Celebration of Peace – and by this cause of the broadsheet – is the bicentennial of

(Meyer’s Konv.-Lexikon, 4^th ed., IX, 781 + X, 1023) by which all began in 1527 or even 1526 according to newer literature.

Stimulated by Luther and since October 1528 also directed by himself through this visitation

The confessional churches emerging from the reformation

–  Lutherans , Reformed  Church , Anglicans  –

and the spiritualistic movements

(Christian Zühlke, Die Reformation in Sachsen, in Von der Liberey zur Bibliothek – 440 Jahre Sächsische Landesbibliothek, 1996, p. 123).

Beyond this the conception of the image discloses Ridinger’s ties to the Netherlandish emblematics as already documented in his earliest works. The curtain in the foreground stands for both the curtain of life as since the middle ages as the symbol of the secret, the mystery, as which we have to understand, e. g., the caesura of the worldly death. And indeed, with Luther and his elector we not only see the thematic central figures, but also deceased ones. Accordingly the windows are draped. The light comes in a figurative sense from above, from the skylights and out of the title-cartouche. In the latter not only the cords of the curtain join, but the palm branches are synonym for the past-mortal, the eternal life.

This is the setting of this broadsheet. Which is generally and at first already

a  Ridinger  rarity  of  prime  rank .

But in the case here pure and simple a

RIDINGER-RARITY

of  utmost  quality !
Offer no. 28,250 / EUR  1176. / Export price EUR  1117. (c. US$ 1768.) + shipping

„ Danke für den wunderbaren (Ridinger-)Scan … der meine Argumentation zur Verwechslung in der Staffierung der Porzellane dokumentarisch bestens belegt. Darf ich um Ihre Zustimmung bitten, ihn in meiner Arbeit zeigen zu dürfen? “

(Herr J. R., 7. Juni 2004)

The  Cream  of  the  Day