Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). Trace of a Marten / Trace of the Weasel. Both in original size as lower part of a moonlit landscape of warped trees with a view on a village in a valley. The pine marten looking down from a tree, at the bottom the weasel. Etching + engraving. (1740.) Above right numbered with Ridinger’s own hand with 19, below right inscribed in the plate: J. E. Ridinger inv. del. sculps. et excud. Aug. Vind., otherwise in German as before. 37.6 x 29.6 cm.

Thienemann + Schwarz 181; Ridinger Catalogue Darmstadt, 1999, III.29 with ills., all as the final state with the engraved number 19. – Compare with no. 18 of the publications of the ridinger gallery niemeyer. – Sheet 19 of the “Illustration of the Fair Game with the Respective Traces and Scents etc.”.

Proof impression  before  the engraved number above right which is added at the same place in pen and ink

with  the  master’s  own  hand

as documented in issue 18 of our gallery publications in the light of a complete copy of the set as supposedly the author’s copy (ask for the “Lion Copy” offered here per no. 28,888). – Somewhat time-marked, but of fine chiaroscuro.

of 1911, Hoberg-Janssen 144 with illustration.

As inspired by Ridinger known hitherto only Marc’s woodcut “Riding School after Ridinger” of 1913 (Lankheit 839) as detail interpretation of the mounted rider as background figure of the third sheet, Th. 608, of the 1722 Riding School annotated by literature with

(Christian von Holst, Franz Marc – Pferde, 2003, pp. 166 ff. inside of [‘… the Kick of my Horses’]).

For already his oil “Playing Weasels” worked two years before reveals the knowledge of quite several Ridinger coppers from entirely different sets. Marc shows two weasels, of which the one, bowed over a bough, looks down upon the other sitting in raised attitude. The trees besides of an eccentricity as in this ostensible density used by him only still on the two “Acts under Trees”, H.-J. 143, of the same year. For the thematic primer detonation stands Ridinger’s small sized sheet “The Weasels”, Th. 479, of 1740 as sheet 89 of the set “Design of Several Animals”. Also here two playing ones, but both on the earth in completely different surroundings. The latter Marc splitted up. And took the attitude of the two animals from sheet 86 of the set, the two pine martens Th. 476. The young one of them, bowing over a low bough like at Marc and looking at the dam standing on the hind paws against the trunk, baiting with a captured bird. The same situation shows “Playing Squirrels” as sheet 88 (Th. 478), only with the difference of a further one on the tree, too, but keeping a little aloof and not involved in the play. But the bizarre trees – and as such ones Sälzle characterized them expressly in the edition of the preparatory drawings for the suite here – as rather rarer for Ridinger, too, he took over from the sheet here.

Thus Marc formulated his “Playing Weasels” just so by means of divers Ridinger copies as the latter on his part his “The Amusement of the Shepherds” after Watteau, Thienemann-Stillfried 1397, composed from four models of the French. That finally the trees as more typical for Ridinger was not unfamiliar to Marc, too, shows the right group of trees of his forest picture “The Würm near Pipping” from 1902/03, H.-J. 15 with ills. By the way a lithograph of the same name has been preceded to the oil of his “Playing Weasels” in 1909/10.

But also the par force scenery on the watercolor “Ried Castle” worked one year later – Holst, ills. 11 – stands for a further example of Marc’s occupation with Ridinger,

which  in  this  plurality  has  not  been seen  till  now .

Offer no. 12,485 / EUR  865. / Export price EUR  822. (c. US$ 1300.) + shipping

“ Thank for the images … Convinced … wrap it up and forward an invoice and I will post you a check .... attached a photo of my Vessel … Look forward to more … Thanks ”

(Mr. M. M., June 13, 2006)

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