Johann Elias Ridinger (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). S. Cæcilia. Three-quarter figure of Saint Cecilia, looking at the beholder, in rich garment and turban-like head-dress, here with the harp as rarer attribute, adorned with martyr’s palm leaf + the head of an angel. Beside her an almost unclothed sympathetic young angel reading the notes. Mezzotint engraving. Inscribed: Ioh. El. Ridinger excud. A. V., otherwise as above within a large shell-cartouche in the lower margin. 20⅛ × 15¼ in (51.2 × 38.8 cm).

Stillfried (1876) 1420. – Not in Thienemann (1856) and with the exception of Alexander Count of Faber-Castell (1958) here not provable elsewhere either. – Size variant unbeknownst to Schwarz (Collection Baron von Gutmann, 1910) who in doubt about the – by the one here now confirmed – size stated by Stillfried in the 3^rd appendix to Thienemann queries his copy of 24¼ × 19½ in (61.5 × 49.5 cm) listed under the same number. – Tipped of old at the corners on especially wide-margined heavy laid paper touched by browning at two of the far edges. – With fine little paper margin throughout below and intermitted here and there at the sides, above trimmed to platemark.

The rich sheet in rarer composition in the excellent copy regarding printing and conservation of a cultivated collection of in all parts nuanced, shining chiaroscuro. And in such a manner of quite extraordinary rarity not only on the market as quoted above, but in general, too. Already in 1675 the expert von Sandrart numbered “clean prints” of the velvety mezzotint manner at only c. “50 or 60” (!). “Soon after (the picture) grinds off for it not goes deeply into the copper.”

Having been made to the inventor of the organ by the legend the 22^nd November is the day of the ritual remembrance of this noble Roman of the 3^rd century. But for the whole year and for all she is the patroness of music, in particular of sacred music. Here then with the harp as rarer attribute.

Offer no. 28,402 | price on application