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Dramatic Scenery –
The Atmosphere Charged with Suspense
Finest from the Finest among Ridinger’s Drawings
as a Uniqueness of Highest Quality
The Master lets go the Bees
Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). Spring-Gun on a Bear. The stretched and strained bear reaching and licking for the honey-pot swarmed round by numerous bees and the honey running out. At this moment shots come off from two sides. The bait joined by two ropes is fixed to the cross-beam of a trestle resting on strong palisades. Washed brush drawing and pen and brown ink over somewhat graphite. 213 x 346 mm.
On thin hand-made paper with typographic watermark. – On the back marginal marks of former mounting in points. Right top corner with a minimal repaired defect, hardly visible only. One 2 cm marginal tear repaired. Apart from that in perfect condition.
The fully executed drawing of origin
in the same direction, thus before its side-inverted version for the transfer on the plate, as preparatory for print 8 – Th. + Schwarz 76; Ridinger-Catalog Darmstadt, 1999, V.11 with ills. – of the 1750 set of the etchings (in mixed technique with engraving) of the Ways to capture the Wild Animals. And by this
a quite exceptionally elitist collection item .
For Thienemann (1856, page 274, c) knew from this “most interesting work containing 28 (recte 30) fine and peculiar sheets” (Nagler 1843) drawn by Ridinger from life and etched/engraved by himself with the exception of 8 ones only 3 other preparatory drawings in the possession of Weigel, among them a larger-sized variant to the present one, which compared with the print is “quite different in the execution” though. Provable besides the one in question and a still available further one (A Lynx by the Turnpike) seven others, of which four could be handed over here already in pairs into an internationally magnificent private and important German Ridinger collection resp.
This first-rate 9-sheet block of the Ways to Capture, 7 or 8 of which in the direction of the print, origins from the “Group of the Painterlies” of that high-carat Westphalian collection by whose dissolution lasting for more than a decade beside i. a. sketches and proofs quite a number of of quite extraordinary drawn uniquenesses found back onto the market, too, whose extraordinary charm is determined by their wash. The technique the master knew to win the whole plenty of painterly light effects and contrasting. Present one of the
bees–bears drama
then also as executed work in connection with a graphic also within the Ridinger œuvre of greatest rarity nowadays.
Offer no. 14,973 / price on request
But even the aforesaid drawing spectaculum
here and now still to be i-dotted
by the
original printing-plate
in reverse to the executed etching
in the reddish golden brilliance
of its 258 years old copper
inscribed: Joh. Elias Ridinger del. fec. et excud. Aug. Vind. along with 6-line explanation. 25.2 x 36.6 cm.
The optically excellently preserved original copper-printing-plate as one on its part infinitely precious worldwide unique collector’s object here traced back far beyond Thieme-Becker (vol. XXVIII, 1933, p. 308) + Thienemann (1856, p. XXIII) seamlessly directly to the master’s estate itself. For already in general
“ Preserved original 18th century printing-plates
are of great rarity “
(Stefan Morét in 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 Wenzel Hollar]” within [Wenzel 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.
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. 14,972 / price on request
– along with said frameless hanging equipment –