Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). The Fair Game hunted by the different kinds of hounds. With annotations how such are hunted, attacked, catched, held fast, brought down, and partly throttled by them … presented and edited by Johann Elias Ridinger painter and engraver, director of the Augsburg Academy, too, in the year 1761. Set of 22 sheets.

(28.4-28.8 x 24.8-25.3 cm). Inscribed: Roman numbering and (II-XXII) J. El. Ridinger inv. del. sc. et exc. A.V. (differing: V = Joh. … Aug. Vind., VIII + XXII = … Aug. Vind., title = “N.^o” I), otherwise in German as below.

Thienemann + Schwarz 139-160; Weigel, Kunstlager-Cat., XXVIII, 13 A (?, perhaps intermediate state, of A-C); Nagler 16; Coppenrath pt. II, 1464; Schwerdt III (1928), 137 (“An interesting series”). – Illustrations: Schwarz I, plt. VIII; Stubbe, Ridinger, 1966, plts. 14-16; Ridinger Cat. Kielce, 1997, pp. 38-41.

what means, three-sided uncut with the original laid paper edges, while the left-sided clean cut with practically nevertheless the full 6 cm margin like on the right let think that two sheets each may have been printed on one sheet of paper being in accordance with the size of Ridinger’s largest prints, Th. 67/68, printed from one plate. In the absence of every traces of tacks and marbling the set was obviously never bound. Only the title, printed differently on especially buff laid paper, cut also on top and so with only 53 cm a little shorter. Please note, that Schwerdt’s copy reached with only 44.5 x 29.8 cm already the top of its boar-spike!

Isolated typographic watermarks. – Outer margins of the title slightly smudgy and right-sided somewhat teared. Three sheets with original small defects in a outermost marginal corner. Slight trace of squeezing in the white outer margin of XI, a smoothed diagonal fold in left and lower margin touching still the outermost white corner of the plate and a further one, confined to the outer white upper margin, in XII. The general squeezing of the paper of VII predominantly confined on the right half and here noticeable somewhat disturbingly only out of the subject.

The European Bison – The Bear (“there is a good engraving of a bear fighting with hounds, pl. 14”, Stubbe) – The Elk – The Red Stag – The Wild Sow or Boar – The Wolf – The White Fir-Stag (Fallow-Deer) – The Wild Swan (“surely the rarer Whooper Swan”) – The Lynx – The Reindeer – The Roe – The Chamois – The Fox – The Beaver – The Otter – The Wildcat – The Hare – The Badger – The Marten – The Polecat, Squirrel and Weasel – Wild Ducks .

“ Thus a theme with 21 variations … What a variety, what a truth in the expression of emotions! Yes, indeed, he is in fact an animal mind-painter.  Hence  his works speak to us so exceedingly,  hence  we couldn’t take our eyes off them,  hence  he sticks … always new, valuable and esteemed … One of the later works of Ridinger, but completely done himself alone … ”

(Thienemann).

On top the figuration closed in an arch. – With 9-13-line subtext as well to the game itself as to selection + action of the different races of its assailants. In this instructiveness quite in the sense of Stubbe, who quotes in respect of the Par force Hunting as a further late work (p. 30):

“ … and their subtexts … bring together the pleasant satisfaction

which  good  informations, developed  thoroughly, can  give .

A  life  full  of  hunting  experience ,

a knowledge, earned in many years by conceivable alert attention, of the causes and considerations which lead to the single steps and hunting practices qualify the artist to define all kinds of hunting

not  only  after  their  execution ,

but  especially  out  of  their  reasons .

This happens … in all shortness … the limited space under the subjects come up to intensive, but easily understandable annotations in engraved writing. ”

And so it is satisfaction and joy here together to be able to lay before anew this

after the copies of the Luza collection, Amsterdam, and within the second of the two Pompadour volumes of the Marjoribank Folios sold here in 1982 and 1998 resp. – See the complete description.
Offer no. 28,822 / Good  Sport  August  2002  Price

„ Danke für den wunderbaren (Ridinger-)Scan … der meine Argumentation zur Verwechslung in der Staffierung der Porzellane dokumentarisch bestens belegt. Darf ich um Ihre Zustimmung bitten, ihn in meiner Arbeit zeigen zu dürfen? “

(Herr J. R., 7. Juni 2004)