Johann Elias Ridinger’s mezzotint, “S. Antonius de Padua”, c.1740

(attrib.) Johann Elias Ridinger (aka Johann Elias Riedinger) (1698–1767)

“S. Antonius de Padua” (aka “St Anthony of Padua”; “St Antoine” [Le Blanc title]), c.1740.

Mezzotint on fine laid paper backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 56 x 41.8 cm; (plate) 54.4 x 40.3 cm.

Lettered below the image borderline: (centre) “S. ANTONIUS DE PADUA”.

LeBlanc 954 (Charles Le Blanc 1888, “Manuel de l'amateur d'estampes: contenant le dictionnaire des graveurs de toutes les nations”, vol. 3, Paris, Emile Bouillon, p. 333, cat. no. 954); Schwarz 1533 (Ignaz Schwarz 1910, “Katalog einer Ridinger-Sammlung” [2 vols.] Vienna, cat. no. 1533).

See also the descriptions of this print offered by the Wellcome collection and Grosvenor Prints: https://wellcomecollection.org/works/kby6aa5t and https://www.grosvenorprints.com/stock_detail.php?ref=28372.  

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression, with restored printer’s creases. The sheet is in a superb (museum quality) condition for its size and considerable age with no tears, holes, folds, significant stains or foxing and has been laid onto a support of archival paper.

I am selling this exceptionally rare and large etching in an amazing state of preservation, showing the Portuguese friar—St Anthony/Antonius of Padua (aka Ferdinand Martin Bulhom) (1195–1231)—worshipping the infant Christ with the saint’s devotion symbolised by his hands resting on the Bible and a flowering lily, for AU$430 (currently US$287.41/EUR260.05/GBP228.92 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries.

If you are interested in purchasing this amazingly fine mezzotint of a saint who was also a friend and disciple of St Francis of Assisi and who (according to the British Museum’s biographical details for this saint) even had: “fish rising out of the water to hear him preach, a mule kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament as the saint carried it past, the discovery of a miser's heart in his treasure chest, the restoration of the leg of a young man who had cut it off in remorse for having kicked his mother” (see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG115509), please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.