Ridinger, Martin Elias (1730 Augsburg 1780). In the Tyrol at the Lake Inn (the Lake Wild-See near Seefeld?) it happened as I took a walk early in the morning as forest keeper there that I encountered a so-called white-tailed eagle (Th.: cormorant) with its young ones of which in this moment a large bird of prey (Th.: white-tailed eagle) tried to take a young one, and really took away. The forest keeper with his dog on the right among trees and shrubs, the attack/defence over the water near the lakeside, at the distant shore a church. Etching with engraving after assumedly own design. Inscribed: XXXI. / M. E. Ridinger. sc: A. V., otherwise in German as before. 25 x 33.5 cm.

Thienemann + Schwarz 374; Reich auf Bihla Collection 116 ( “Extremely rare”, 1894! ); Helbing XXXIV, Works by J. E. and M. E. Ridinger, 890: „Very rare“ (1900!). – Missing as well in the 1885 Silesian Ridinger collection at Boerner XXXIX as 1889/90 the Coppenrath sale. – Sheet XXXI of the 46-sheet set “To the Special Events and Incidents at the Hunt” (“The rarest set of Ridinger’s sporting line engravings”, Schwerdt 1928; the

etched exclusively by Martin Elias after predominantly fatherly designs and concluded posthumously in 1779.

At which not only after realization here Martin Elias’ importance for the Ridinger œuvre is much larger than that of an engaged co-worker as engraver only. Already at an age of thirty he just acted as a spiritus rector behind the backstage ensuring that sets were completed or, as here, edited posthumously.

And as Wolf Stubbe (Joh. El. Ridinger, 1966, pp. 16 f. + pl. 34), going in medias res, celebrates Th. 722, The Wild Bison and the Crocodile, from the Fights of Killing Animals as an artistic zenith of the late work in respect of its luminous efficiency, he pays tribute together, because judging by the plate, not the drawing, to Martin Elias as the etcher/engraver of that work. An aspect illustrating deeply the Ridinger team-work.

Johann Elias’ hand as draughtsman in this case not supported by his inscription, yet, though regarded by Thienemann as rough,

thematically  very  fine  and  in  regard  of  the  place  very  rare .

Compiling recourses of Martin Elias appear possible with one or another sheet of this set.

The set itself “arranged almost throughout so that always two by two correspond with each other and form pendants, just as they have been sold in pairs, too” (Thienemann). Here thus with sheet XXXII – In the Lake Ammergau in Bavaria … – , the attack of a white-tailed eagle on a wild (whooper?) swan with the huntsman together with hounds now on the left behind trees.

(“If they are missing, so this points to later impressions”, Thienemann), laterally 5.5, otherwise 2.3-3 cm widemargined. – The slight browning at the back shining through only minimally in the wide margin.
Offer no. 14,652 / EUR  946. / export price EUR  899. (c. US$ 1256.) + shipping