The Largest of Ridinger’s Crucifixions
before the Background of
what makes for Jerusalem’s Immortalness
Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). In manus tuas com(m)endo Spiritum meum et hæc dicens expiravit. Luc. 23. The hour of Good Friday darkened by clouds of Christ at the cross before broadly situated Temple Mount with the Wailing Wall. Left of the cross John supporting the collapsing Mary, lying at the foot of it Magdalen. Mezzotint by Johann Jacob Ridinger (1736 Augsburg 1784). Inscribed: I. N. R. I. at the head of the cross / Ioh. Iacob Ridinger sculps. / I. El. Ridinger excud. Aug. Vind., otherwise as above. 24⅞ × 17¾ in (63.3 × 45.1 cm).
Provenance
Counts Faber-Castell
their Ridinger sale 1958
lot no. 167
Radulf Count of Castell-Rüdenhausen
(1922-2004)
Schwarz 1492 with ills. II, plate XLII; Wend, Ergänzungen zu den Œuvreverzeichnissen der Druckgrafik, I/1 (1975), 155 (variant in writing); Faber-Castell 167.
Not in Thienemann (1856) , Stillfried (1876) , Weigel, Art Stock Catalog, division I-XXVIII (1838/57; more than 1000 R. sheets of the etched/engraved work) , Silesian Ridinger Collection at Boerner (1885; “of greatest richness … many rarities”) , Coppenrath Collection (1889/90) , Reich auf Biehla Collection (1894; “Of all [R. collections on the market] since long time there is none standing comparison even approximately with the present one in respect of completeness and quality … especially the rarities and undescribed sheets present in great number” , Gg. Hamminger (1895) , Helbing XXXIV (Arbeiten von J. E. und M. E. Ridinger, 1554 items, 1900) , Rosenthal, Ridinger list 126 (1940).
Fine black impression determined by contrast-rich chiaroscuro – marvelous the play of the incidental light from above – with typographic watermark (WANGEN?) with margins running around 1.5-2 cm wide, fox-spotted on three sides, though generally little perceptibly slightly spotted, and doubled. The previously smoothed out centerfold still slightly visible.
The extraordinarily rare , large-sized sheet
from the sequence of the nine crucifixions, besides the present one provable here only in the copy Schwarz (von Gutmann Collection, 1910, acquired by this, however, already 1903 not with the Horn Collection) as well as a variant traded here in the ’90s. Accordingly then also Thienemann generally in already 1856 (!):
“ The mezzotints are almost not available in the trade anymore
… all worked by and after Joh. El. Ridinger (are) that rare that they are to be found almost only in some public, grand print rooms. I have come across most of the described ones only in the famous print room at Dresden … ”
(pages VIII + 270).
A situation also possible new editions could change little as according to the expert Sandrart (1675) the technically conditioned extremely fast wearing off mezzotint plate only permits 50-60 good impressions.
Here then the copy Counts Faber-Castell
(their collection underlay carton removed meanwhile). The scene itself finally
of great power and pictorial beauty
– “ And was a darkness over the whole country ” –
before the background of
what makes for Jerusalem’s immortalness .
Offer no. 14,862 / EUR 1175. / export price EUR 1116. (c. US$ 1216.) + shipping
“ Many thanks for your message. Thank you very much for sending the (Anthonie) Waterloo … I am grateful to you for the opportunity to buy the etching. It was interesting to learn about its provenance … The Waterloo etching arrived safely today, beautifully wrapped. Thank you very much indeed ”
(Mr. M. L., April 24 and 29 resp. and May 6, 2003)