Deutsch
“ Had to be paid for as a Rarity very Dearly ”
The immediate reproduction
of the Tiger-Horse with the quite unique
Ear-Bouquet
Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). The Tiger-Horse with Ear-Bouquet. The stallion in wonderfully light exercise in a beauty hilly landscape with village standing separated from five horses partly romping and rolling and looking at the viewer. After the portrait painted from life by worked after the painting from life by the amateur artist baron Christian Ludwig von Löwenstern (1701 Darmstadt 1754). Copper-printing-plate. Inscribed: Lib: Baro de Löwenstern ad viv: pinx. Darmst. / J. El. Ridinger sc. et excud. 1745 + as subtext in German:
“ This Young Tiger-Horse bred at Orange=Polder, a village not far-off Delft in the province of Holland,
had this black ear-bouquet
like the other spots and has been bought as a rarity for a very high price by the Silesian manorial family count Promnitz during their Dutch voyage in 1743. ”
35 x 28.5 cm.
The portrait of the Promnitz trouvaille painted as a hippological wonder thinkably already during the return and entrusted Ridinger as first resort for this for immediate documentation within his running series of zoologically exemplary examples and
adequately hereto then
The original printing-plate
in reverse to just sheet 38 (etching + engraving, Thienemann + Schwarz 280, “The six horses contained in this collection later had been sold also separately”) of the “Representation of the Wondrous Stags and Other Animals”
in the reddish golden brilliance
of its 263 years old copper
as correspondingly trouvaillesk and here traced back far beyond Thieme-Becker (vol. XXVIII, 1933, p. 308) seamlessly directly to the master’s estate itself. And therewith correcting Thienemann (1856) who declared the plates of the Wondrous as being deprived. But so a collector’s object of quite especial preciousness. For already in general
“ Preserved original 18th century printing-plates
are of great rarity”
(Stefan Morét in the Ridinger catalogue Darmstadt, 1999, pp. 62 f. See also the plates there I.13, I.8 + I.11, colour ills. 6 + b/w ills. pp. 63 f.).
And especially on Ridinger’s :
“ Of the high technical and qualitative standard of the works of Ridinger and his sons collaborating in the workshop especially as engravers the (only very partially) preserved printing-plates bear witness still today. ”
In the same sense then already before Bernadette Schöller in “[The Cologne Graphic Market at the Time of Václav Hollar]” within [Václav Hollar – The Cologne Years] ed. by Werner Schäfke, Cologne 1992, p. 19:
“ The copper-plates
which on the basis of both their material value
and the working times invested therein , too ,
enjoyed a far higher esteem
than , e.g., a preparatory drawing handled only too often disrespectfully … ”
As then elsewhere, too: “The Nuremberg publisher Frauenholz was so taken with this work that he acquired the plate from Reinhart (1761-1847) for a considerable sum” (Teeuwisse III [2007], 29).
And quite concretely Cornelis Koeman in Atlantes Neerlandici II (1969), pp. 138 + 345:
“ One of the most dramatic events in the early history of commercial cartography in Amsterdam was the sale of Jodocus Hondius, Jr.’s copper-plates to Willem Jansz. Blaeu in 1629, the year of his death. At least 34 plates, from which Jodocus II had printed single-sheet maps for his own benefit, passed into the hands of his great competitor. Immediately after that, his brother, Henricus, and Joannes Janssonius (brother-in-law of the latter) ordered the engraving of identical plates. ”
Whereby the communicated process of this order documents
the whole value of copper-printing-plates
once more :
The placing to the engravers Evert Symontsz. Hamersvelt and Salomon Rogiers by notarial act laying down the completion of now 36 plates within 18 months, worked “accurately and finely, yes, finer and better and not less in quality than the maps given to the engravers. The principals will pay to the undertakers 100 carolus guilders for each engraved plate and will also pay the copper itself and the polishing. Five hundred guilders will be paid in advance in order to afford the undertakers to pay the labourers.” Regarding the inclusion of independent temporary engravers as obviously usage the principals “will during the said period not be allowed to employ any of the following (seven) engravers … or any one else who should be employed by the undertakers, with excemption of (two ones). If Salomon Rogiers (obviously specialized letter engraver) came to die within the aforesaid period, it will be up to Evert Symontsz to decide if he wants to stop or to continue with the work, by lack of a good letter engraver. If Evert Symontsz came to die (prematurely) … Salomon Rogiers is forced to complete the task, provided that more time will be available for him.”
As we visualize these informative details the plates inevitably gain in additional intimacy. Telling of pressures and time-need if co-players did an unexpcted clever move which could become commercially threatening, whereby term of delivery and considered number of engravers illustrate abruptly the advantage of the competition. And just the pure labor value of such a plate pointed out with already above by Bernadette Schöller, here multiplied by a degree of accuracy of a map transfer with its, not at least and specially, see above, infinite local inscriptions! As said, truly dramatic.
Yet in the case here, remember, regarding nevertheless always only reproduction plates. What an artistic and therewith timeless factor determines the value then only there, where the genius of the artist himself draws the lines, leads the needle, strengthening the intensity of the etching there and taking it back here, imposing the own vision upon the copper! Here + today then in such a manner Ridinger plates!
And so it was said then here also on occasion of the reappearance of parts of the so-called Thieme-Becker block of Ridinger’s printing-plates “One of the most sensational discoveries in art history … Ridinger’s original printing- (sic!!!) plates”.
That the one here
the master has worked alone
shall be mentioned expressly. Just as documented by inscription. – The original numbering “38” restored again on occasion of a later 19th century edition after it had been removed for a separate set in the mid-twenties. – On the right side, particularly in the subtext, some small soldering spots.
Baron von Löwenstern, closely connected with the Darmstadt court and working already as a poet and composer, was like Goethe an amateur artist of a, however, most extensive painted œuvre
“ of richly composed battle scenes in the manner of (Jacques) Courtois (1621-1675; “were esteemed and admired already by his contemporaries in respect of the immediate freshness and liveliness of conception and reproduction, and of the masterly pick-up of the atmospheric ambience … was one of the first out-door painters”, Thieme-Becker VII [1912], 591 f.), hunting pieces, and portraits … For the famous art clock (Ludwig VIII.) gave to Maria Theresa (and had it brought by the young Georg Adam Eger, his court hunting painter, in 1750) L(öwenstern) worked the first two designs. In some portraits by his (court painter) friend Joh. Chr. Fiedler L. painted the battle scenes in the background, so demonstrably on the portrait of the landgrave of 1741 … Chief work: Battle at Dettingen, painted for the landgrave in 1746. 200 of such battle and horse pieces were located in the possession of the wife of the hunting master von Reischbach … Fiedler painted his portrait, engraved in mezzotint by J. J. Haid (pupil and subsequently still journeyman with Ridinger, originator of his portrait as well in oil as as “programmatic mezzotint” [Gode Krämer]) ”
(Thieme-Becker XXIII [1929], 328).
Beyond of this all in the case here of finally family and contemporarily historical high importance the thematic reference to the Silesian immediate counts von Promnitz rooting in deep history as purchaser of the thoroughbred “Tiger”. Since 1542 in possession of the dominion Pleß in the administrative district Oppeln with ancestralscats in Sorau + Pleß the family brought force several members of general importance. Although the dominion came into the possession of the house Anhalt-Koethen already in 1765 (after the die out of the Promnitz family already at that time?), the “Hunting Castle” Promnitz survived the centuries up to now and in the fall of 1913 it served to the German emperor Wilhelm II as well as a place of work as a refuge for stalking, so, i. a., on the known one of 26 points hunted on September 12.
During the World War I
temporarily imperial headquarter
“ three decisions of far-reaching importance have been made in Pleß ,
“ namely the replacement of Erich von Falkenhayn as chief of the general staff by the legendary field-marshal Paul von Hindenburg (later the last president of the Weimar republic who then nominated Hitler to a Chancellor of the Reich as result of the 1933 election only with reluctance, yet, distace) and at the same time the appointment of general Erich Ludendorff (ill-reputed for his later attendance at the march to the Munich General Hall in 1923) as First QM General. Furthermore then to mention the resolve for establishing a Polish state and finally
the declaration of the unrestricted U-boat war
leading to the declaration of war
by the United States to the German Reich “
(Andreas Gautschi in Gautschi and Rakow, [Wilhelm II and the Chase]. Bothel, Nimrod publishing house F. Rakow, 2006, pp. 234 f. along with illustrations of castle + park Pless and especially of the “study of His Majesty in the Hunting Castle Promnitz [Pless]“).
For Promnitz see also [General German Biography] XXVI (1888), pp. 663 f.; Magno, [Historical Description of the Residential Town Sorau of the Immediate High Counts Promnitz], Leipsic 1710; König, [Biographic Lexicon of all Heroes and Military Persons which have risen to Fame in Prussian Service], vol. III, Berlin 1790; Bülau, [Secret Stories and Enigmatic Men], vol. II, 2nd ed., Leipsic 1863.
Sheltered from tarnishing by fine application of varnish
the plate is printable generally in the ordinary course of its use during the times. But it is offered and sold as a work of art and an object of collecting. Thus without prejudice to its final printing quality. Shortly ,
a thinkably enjoying , worldwide unique absolutum .
Proposed to you with the recommendation of a timeless-elegantly frameless hanging (fittings included) for that you will experience the reflection of the respective light to the fullest.
And what said private Ridinger plate purchasers generally ?
“ You have surprised me ”,
so a retired presiding judge purchasing two of these cimelies
of which he had impressions been done
(see Ridinger catalogue Darmstadt, 1999, I.10 + I.12).
“ I would like to thank you ,
the plates are more beautiful than I had expected ,
I take both , no question ”,
so an entrepreneur who in the meantime bought three further ones.
“ … and I know the plate will only gain in value ”,
so an American purchaser.
And in 2001 the Augsburg Art Collections presented the acquired 12-plate set for the Paradise suite
within the exposition “KUNSTREICH” as the important acquisitions of the last decade
(catalogue KUNSTREICH no. 102, pp. 198-201).
Finally to complement all facts above by a comparison of the valuations once and now as possible on the basis of the said map-plates proves to be both interesting and informative:
In 1630 Hondius-Janssonius paid said 100 guilders (in the Northern Netherlands of the 17th/18th centuries 20 stuivers came on one guilder and 16 pennies on a stuiver) for the engraving of each single map-plate additionally to the copper itself and its polishing. Compared with this in 1670 the publisher’s price for Joan Blaeu’s 12 and 11-volume resp. Atlas Maior from the 1660s with its about 600 (sic!) maps – Le Grande Atlas as the most exciting atlas event of all times published in a total edition of just under 1000 copies – made in its standard edition in decorated vellum and colored in outline only just 450 and 430 resp. guilders! Nevertheless inevitably meant only “for a small circle of customers … (for the) requirement of representation of rich merchants and shipowners”. For a normal daily earnings made in the thought span of time 1 guilder on the flat country of the west, in the south + east only between ½ + 1 guilder. For specialists a little more, for farm hands somewhat less. And in the cities about the double.
For the early 1970s Traudl Seifert, then keeper of the map division of the Bavarian State Library, figured for the Atlas Maior in the standard edition a shop price of about 150 thousand German marks. On a 1984 auction sale an 11-volume copy estimated irrespectively of 5 missing maps at 250 thousand was paid with totally 347700 DM. A rise to 80760% from the publishing on 300 years ago! Which on their part already date back two decades!
Analogously to this the 100 guilders costs for engraving per each plate in 1630 would have been multiplied about just the 807fold to 80760 DM and 41292 EUR resp. per 1984, one DM put roughly on a par with a guilder, freely granting this to be so. Yet, surely, but only, requiring alone skilled ability.
(Basing on Koeman, as above; Traudl Seifert, Der Atlas major des Joan Blaeu, in Börsenblatt für den Deutschen Buchhandel, Frankfort edition of February 25, 1975; and statistic sources.)
And so the most elitist frequently still is the most economy-priced one .
Offer no. 14,946 / price on request
– along with said frameless hanging equipment –