Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). Rocky Landscape with a Group of seven Eagles/Predatory Birds. Partially stumped black chalk with light grey-brown wash, edged by black pen. Inscribed with brown pen in left out paper field lower centre: Johann Elias Ridinger del A. 1744. 293-300 x 260 mm.

Pictorially completely executed, very charming preparatory work to “Predatory Birds at Daylight” of the same year, Thienemann 273 (currently available per no. 12,076), but

with  one  additional  bird .

Thienemann comments in the trailer to the group of (predatory) birds, 755-758 + 759-762, of 1763 and 1749 resp. as following :

“ They look like eagles though Ridinger does not characterizes them as just those, but it cannot be determined to which kind they belong. ”

How  strongly  this  theme  occupied  Ridinger

the block of 17 (!) not etched works to 755-762 illustrates, documented by Thienemann under VI, z + aa (p. 278). Contrary to this he has not become aware of a preparatory drawing of the motif 273 here of 1744 worked beforehand for the set of the “Presentation of the Wondrous Stags and other Animals” (since 1735 at the latest, concluded 1768) (see III, n, p. 276, so that in regard of this XII, 15, p. 284, with their i. a. “eight leaves several birds, in scenic environments, or single, also groups” cannot be relied on neither. This further block nevertheless again evidence of the intensity of occupation with this theme valued in literature only marginally hitherto).

Also the 95-sheet corpus of drawings from Faber-Castell of 1958 unearthed nothing to Thienemann 273 among the 80 drawings belonging to Johann Elias. Outside of this nevertheless the same year an uninscribed pencil drawing reached the market as preparatory drawing. Decades later then in 1996 an accurately repeated drawing in reverse of 1750 marked besides the signature as “retouched” appeared (pencil with black chalk and pen-and-ink retouching and border line, watermarked “VI”) after already in 1993 a six-eagles-drawing from 1750 (brush, pencil + pen) was on the market. All these works just like the one here of the subject size of the etching.

Accordingly the rank of the work here based on especially two facts. For once to present knowledge here it is of at most two preparations

the  only  one  to  Thienemann 273  signed  +  dated !

Then, and this makes for its quite special collectible charm,

it  deviates  evidently  from  the  final  product  of  the  same  year !

The master was still undecided about himself! – See the two works of 1741 with eagle owl, falcon + heron in Weigel, (Catalogue of a Collection of Original Drawings), 1869, Ridinger appendix Nos. 354/55, the latter of these as “Black chalk wiped under, sm. fol.”, with the remark

“ belong  to  a  set  among  the  eagles ” .

On chamois laid paper as the preparatiory drawing to the 20^th fable of those year sold here a couple of years ago, too, here with watermark Large Fleur-de-lis over Strasbourg coat of arms. The signature below of the border line accompynied by a fine margin cut free as not unusual for Ridinger. A few hardly perceptible brown stipples, otherwise very well.
Offer no. 28,484  /  price on request

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