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The one and only Nassau Provenance of the Œuvre
and the one and only Saarbrücken Locality , too .
And that in the Original Printing-Plate !
Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). In the Year 1674 (recte 1746) November 15. this Striated Stag of Twelve Points has been shot by His Highness William Henry Ruling Prince of Nassau-Saarbrücken etc. in the Forest of Neunkirchen, in the so-called Becker Wood, in a Battue. Steeled copper-printing-plate in reverse. Inscribed: Joh. El. Ridinger del. fec. et exc. Aug. Vind. 1750., otherwise in German as before. 25.7 x 34.1 cm.
The optically excellently preserved
original printing-plate
to sheet 54 (etching + engraving, Thienemann + Schwarz 296) of the “Representation of the Wondrous Stags and other Animals” as precious, worldwide unique collector’s item, 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. For already in general
“ Preserved original 18th century printing-plates
are of great rarity ” x)
(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, among them the 12-plate “Paradise” set acquired by the Augsburg Art Collections and presented within their 2001 exposition of important acquisitions of the last decade) 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 number “54” restored again on occasion of a later 19th century edition after it had been changed for a re-arranged set in the mid-twenties.
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. To retain this the not unusual steeling has been effected at a time not known here inevitably covering the optically marvellous brilliance of the reddish golden copper. To the knowledge here the removal and by this the recovery of the latter is possible.
Offer no. 15,012 / price on request
– incl. fittings for timeless-elegantly frameless hanging –
The occurrence of such an item appeared that unbelievable to subordinated staff members of the Saarland Museum that irrespective of given information on the provenance up to the reference to standard literature (Thieme-Becker) in case of the plate here information was laid to the district attorney at Saarbrücken for the suspicion of faking. Of which after being concerned with the matter the administration of the museum immediately kept their distance by letter to here as following :
“ that we informed the Office of the District Attorney at Saarbrücken by letter … that
neither the Saarland Museum nor the Stiftung Saarländischer Kulturbesitz
have effected an official denunciation or notification against you ”.
Accordingly unequivocal against the initiators the expert opinion called for by the district attorney. With the result of a stay of the judicial inquiry at the cost of the state. In the further procedure then initiated here the Office of the Chief State Prosecutor there finally notified
that “to the result of the inquiry” the “grave allegation” had been made
“‘rash’ , perhaps even irresponsibly”
and “may also be caused
(by) wanting competence
… in this special question of valuation of genuineness”.
As said , uncloudedly precious , traced back into the master’s estate .
Finally to complement all facts above then also 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 .