“ This is
the First Good Illustration of the Striated Hyena ”
worked Years before Buffon
as the First Modern Zoological Standard Work
Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). Indianischer Wolff … Indian Wolf. Drawn from Life in the Grand Ducal Menagerie in Florence in 1744. Striated hyena standing to the right in front of a mighty tree. In the distance palms. Etching and engraving. (1745.) Inscribed in the plate: 37 / J. El. Ridinger sculpsit et excud., otherwise in German as above and below. 36.6 x 28,1 cm.
Thienemann + Schwarz 279; erlebnis ridinger 47 with ills. – Sheet 37 of the 101-sheet set “Representation of the Wondrous Stags and Other Animals” (1735 at the latest – 1768) as
the zoologically significant first useful presentation
of the striated hyena .
As copy laid before him the black chalk drawing no. 337 of the Ridinger appendix of the 1869 Weigel catalogue of his left drawings, worked doubtless by the stepson Joh. Gottfried Seuter, on the verso inscribed with “1744 in Florenz J. G. S.”. Seuter was staying in Italy for a longer period.
Inscribed further with the explanation :
“ The queerness at this animal are the bristles or hair at the back which it can raise when going, but still more when flying into a rage, and put down when resting. The colour corresponding to that of the other wolves, only the bristles are reddish yellow. ”
And Thienemann resumes :
“ This is the first good illustration of the striated hyena . ”
Thus worked years before Buffon’s monumental “Histoire naturelle générale et particulière”, published between 1749 and 1804, as the first modern zoological standard work. The topical publication of the 1744 drawing just in 1745 illustrates the periodical sequence of the platenumbers. So plates 30-35 bear the date of 1744 and 36 + 38-41 that of 1745. – Fine warm-toned impression.
Offer no. 13,221 / EUR 562. / export price EUR 534. (c. US$ 748.) + shipping
„ … zugleich bedanke ich mich für alles, was Sie im alten Jahr für mich getan haben. Mit vielen Grüßen Ihr … “
(Herr W. W., 20. Dezember 2008)