But the masses cried
Crucify him , crucify him !
Thousand years in His sight
are but as yesterday when it is past …
as a watch in the night .
And was a darkness
over the whole country
The Largest of Ridinger’s Crucifixions
before the Background of
what makes for Jerusalem’s Immortalness
Johann Elias Ridinger (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). In manus tuas com(m)endo Spiritum meum et hæc dicens expiravit. Luc. 23. The hour of Good Friday darkened by clouds of Christ at the cross before broadly situated Temple Mount with the Wailing Wall. Left of the cross John supporting the collapsing Mary, lying at the foot of it Magdalen. Mezzotint by Johann Jacob Ridinger (1736 Augsburg 1784). Inscribed: I. N. R. I. at the head of the cross / Ioh. Iacob Ridinger sculps. / I. El. Ridinger excud. Aug. Vind., otherwise as above. 24⅞ × 17¾ in (63.3 × 45.1 cm).
Provenance
Alexander Count of Faber-Castell
(1866-1928)
his Ridinger sale 1958
lot no. 167
Radulf Count of Castell-Rüdenhausen
(1922-2004)
Schwarz 1492 with ills. II, plate XLII; Wend, Ergänzungen zu den Œuvreverzeichnissen der Druckgrafik, I/1 (1975), 155 (variant in writing); Faber-Castell 167.
Not in Thienemann (1856), Stillfried (1876), Weigel, Art Stock Catalog, division I-XXVIII (1838/57; more than 1000 R. sheets of the etched/engraved work), Silesian Ridinger Collection at Boerner (1885; “of greatest richness … many rarities”), Coppenrath Collection (1889/90), Reich auf Biehla Collection (1894; “Of all [R. collections on the market] since long time there is none standing comparison even approximately with the present one in respect of completeness and quality … especially the rarities and undescribed sheets present in great number”, Helbing XXXIV (Arbeiten von J. E. und M. E. Ridinger, 1554 items, 1900), Rosenthal, Ridinger list 126 (1940).
Fine black impression determined by contrast-rich chiaroscuro – marvelous the play of the incidental light from above – with typographic watermark (WANGEN?) with margins running around 1.5-2 cm wide, fox-spotted on three sides, though generally little perceptibly slightly spotted, and doubled. The previously smoothed out centerfold still slightly visible.
The extraordinarily rare , large-sized sheet
from the sequence of the nine crucifixions, besides the present one provable here only in the copy Schwarz (von Gutmann Collection, 1910, acquired by this, however, already 1903 not with the Horn Collection) as well as a variant traded here in the ’90s. Accordingly then also Thienemann generally in already 1856 (!):
“ 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 … ”
(pages VIII & 270).
A situation also possible new editions could change little as according to the expert Sandrart (1675) the technically conditioned extremely fast wearing off mezzotint plate only permits 50-60 good impressions.
Here then the copy of Alexander Count of Faber-Castell
(their collection underlay carton removed meanwhile). The scene itself finally
of great power and pictorial beauty …
“ And was a darkness over the whole country ”
Offer no. 14,862 | EUR 1175. | export price EUR 1116. (c. US$ 1200.) + shipping
And of Rich Nuance
the Incidental Light from above
Johann Elias Ridinger (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). In manus tuas com(m)endo Spiritum meum et hæc dicens expiravit. Luc. 23. Christ left alone in his hour of Good Friday darkened by clouds ad looking up to the right, at its foot
death’s-head & bones , persisting hissing snake & tempting apple
as referring company. Broadly situated behind the Temple Mount with adjoining locality laterally left. Mezzotint. Inscribed: I. N. R. I. at the top of the cross / I. El. Ridinger excud. A. V., otherwise as above. 20⅜ × 15⅜ in (51.7 × 39.2 cm).
Provenance
Alexander Count of Faber-Castell
(1866-1928)
his Ridinger sale 1958
with its lot no. 136
on the underlay carton
Radulf Count of Castell-Rüdenhausen
(1922-2004)
Th.-Stillfried (1876) & Schwarz (1910) 1408; Faber-Castell 136; Wend, Ergänzungen zu den Œuvreverzeichnissen der Druckgrafik, I/1 (1975), 153.
Not in Thienemann (1856), Weigel, Art Stock Catalog, division I-XXVIII (1838/57; more than 1000 R. sheets of the etched/engraved work), Silesian Ridinger Collection at Boerner (1885 as above), Coppenrath Collection (1889/90), Reich auf Biehla Collection (1894 as above), Helbing XXXIV (Arbeiten von J. E. und M. E. Ridinger, 1554 items, 1900), Rosenthal, Ridinger list 126 (1940).
Fine black impression rich in contrast – full of nuance the incidental light from above – with WANGEN watermark as standing for contemporary impressions with margins of 7-10 mm running around. In the left half, optically disguised by the mezzotint technique, slightly waved and generally spotted as little perceptible in the subject. A throughout fine general impression maintained though.
Here then the copy of Alexander Count of Faber-Castell
as one of Ridinger’s nine crucifixions in their again and again varying fascination of the event.
Offer no. 14,863 | EUR 890. | export price EUR 846. (c. US$ 910.) + shipping
A Crucifixion Scene
of quite Rare Intimacy
Johann Elias Ridinger (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). Consummatum est. Before the silhouette of Jerusalem the dying Christ at the cross, looking down to the left at Mary, to the right John, both standing, the hands folded, and looking up. At the foot of the cross death’s-head. Mezzotint. Inscribed: I. N. | R. I. at the top of the cross / Consummatum est. / I. El. Ridinger excud. Aug. Vind. 22⅜ × 16⅝ in (56.7 × 42.3 cm).
Provenance
Alexander Count of Faber-Castell
(1866-1928)
his Ridinger sale 1958
with its lot no. 109
on the underlay carton
Radulf Count of Castell-Rüdenhausen
(1922-2004)
Compare Thienemann 1274 (uncertain as being trimmed under loss of the title/inscription band) & Schwarz 1274 (22 × 15⅜ in [56 × 39.2 cm], variant of writing “CONSUMATUM EST.” & “J. Elias … exc. …”). – Faber-Castell 109 (without attention to the “mm” in Consummatum).
Not in Weigel, Art Stock Catalog, pts. I-XXVIII (1838/57), Coppenrath Collection (1889 f.), Reich auf Biehla Collection (1894 as above), Helbing XXXIV (Arbeiten von J. E. und M. E. Ridinger, 1554 items, 1900), Rosenthal, Ridinger list 126 (1940).
Undescribed (?) variant
to Schwarz 1274
of the atmospheric-delicate large sheet
far from all drama in very fine impression with possibly WANGEN watermark with margins 1-1.5 cm wide running around and irrespective of its time-markedness – perfectly smoothed out little crease folds throughout the sheet, thin paper spots, some pin-sized tiny holes, little spore spots in the lower part of the subject – of optically roundly very fine general impression.
Here then the copy of Alexander Count of Faber-Castell
of a crucifixion scene of quite rare intimacy
before the silhouette of Jerusalem
with the marvelously nuanced light falling in from above .
Offer no. 14,861 | EUR 956. | export price EUR 908. (c. US$ 976.) + shipping