Johann Elias Ridinger (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). Malicious Flattery is finally disclosed and defeated. Two dogs, a little monkey, tom-cat, and parrot populate the room of a rich idler. Then to the dismay of the others the tom-cat forgets himself and cajoles the plumage of the parrot. Later the tom-cat has to die. Etching with engraving. (1744.) Inscribed: J El Ridinger inv. fec. et excud., otherwise as above in German, Latin, and French. 13⅛ × 9¾ in (33.4 × 24.6 cm).

Thienemann + Schwarz 776; Metzner-Raabe, Illustr. Fabelbuch, 1998, vol. II (Bodemann), 123.I. – Sheet 12 of the intellectually as optically exceedingly charming “Instructive Fables from the Animal Kingdom for Improvement of the Manners and especially for Instruction of the Youth”.

Once having been mounted onto bluish-grey laid paper of the early 18^th cent. watermarked SICKTE (the von Veltheim paper mill there) along with the Jumping Horse Heawood 2790 (Germany 18^th Cent. Esp. in Doppelmayr, Sonnen-Uhren, Nuremberg 1719), upon which it now lies loosely. – The wide white platemark with fine to wider margin on all sides. – Marvelous early impression.

Offer no. 12,509 | price on application