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Johann Elias Ridinger, Original Copper Printing Plates

JOHANN  ELIAS  RIDINGER’S

original  printing-plates

in  the  reddish-golden  brilliance

of  their  about  250  years  old  copper

Johann Elias Ridinger, Wild Boar

as most precious collector’s items, here traced back far beyond Thieme-Becker (vol. XXVIII, 1933, p. 308) + Thienemann (1856, p. XXIII) seamlessly directly to the master’s estate itself, therewith in many cases – so i. a. for the printing-plates for the Wondrous Stags and other Animals or the Design of Several Animals – correcting Thienemann (1856) who declared the plates as being deprived. 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 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”.

Ridinger’s original numbering of some of the sets changed or removed for differently arranged new editions of about 1824/25 and partially restored again – so with the copper-printing-plates to the Wondrous Stags and other Animals – only on occasion of a later 19th century edition.

Sheltered  from  tarnishing  by  fine  application  of  varnish

the copper-printing-plates are printable generally in the ordinary course of their use during the times. But they are offered and sold as works of art and objects of collecting. Thus without prejudice to their final printing quality. – Shortly ,

thinkably  enjoying , worldwide  unique  absoluta .

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.

If single or as the magnificent solitaires of the
exemplaires  enrichis
on the boards of the cassettes of Ridinger’s top sets
or even together with Ridinger’s painterly original drawings –
in any case Ridinger’s copper-printing-plates are worldwide unrepeatably unique ,
extraordinary collector’s items and – shining gifts .

 

Johann Elias Ridinger, Stag of 3 Antlers

 

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 .