Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). The Four Seasons of the Hounds. Set of 4 sheet in etching with engraving. Supposedly beginning of the 1740s. Inscribed: avec privil. de Sa Maj. Imp. / J. E. Ridinger inv. peint grave(è) et excud à(a) augs(Augs)., otherwise with sheet title + quatrain in German-French parallel text. 46.5-46.8 x 34.8 cm.

Thienemann + Schwarz 105-108; Nagler 25; Catalogue Weigel XXVIII (1857), Ridinger appendix, before 10, B; Silesian Ridinger collection at Boerner XXXIX, 1793 ( “Rare”, 1885 ! ); Reich auf Biehla 18 ( “Rare”, 1894 ! ); Helbing XXXIV (Works by J. E. and M. E. Ridinger, 1900), 251 (Th. 106 in later impression) + 252 (trimmed up to the subject); Schwerdt III, 136; Blüchel, Die Jagd (1996) II, 78 f. (ills. Th. 105 + 108). – Coppenrath (1889/90) had the spring sheet only.

with watermark Stylized Arabic Four together with C + R at the vertical beam (ll. 2-4) as not documented here so far and regarded as somewhat later, supposedly beginning of the 19^th century. Weigel only globally distinguishes between “Old impressions on laid paper” + “New impression”, that is non-laid paper, and already ten years earlier per aggregate number 16545 (issue XIX, 1847) if applicable he just notes “old now rarely available impressions”.

Margins on three sides 5-7 cm wide, on the right 2.5-3.5 and, Th. 106, 1.5-3.5 cm resp. In the upper outside margin each with four technical pinholes. Upper + right margins with traces of red edges for the origin from an old album. – Isolated feeble tiny margin foxspots, the outside edges mostly with traces of former mounting in frames, perceptible from the front on the left side and at three lower and one upper edge only. All with three smoothed horizontal folds each invisible from the front. The autumn sheet with an unobtrusive diagonal fold running through the subject upper right, that of the winter with two of these in the white upper and lower margin resp., the latter of which inconspicuously reaching into the subtext. In short, of very fine general condition.

The Spring. / Le Printems.

“ The hares are catched a lot at spring time, / Before when they have moved into the seeded field: / But when with greatest rage the hounds set on it, / So the protector has concern they do not tear it up. ”

Sitting over the hare he especially has to make himself respected by two of the four. – The painterly preparatory drawing in reverse furnished with marks of trace and red chalk at the back available here. – “The spring sheet of the set of seasons by Ridinger shows the low hunt for hares” (Blüchel).

“ In summer in the stout often the stag is bagged, / By the par force hounds which are ordered to this, / And when it is killed then that it stretches all legs, / The hunter tired there enjoys a pipe tobacco. ”

“ A rich sheet. Scene in the wood. Quite in front lies a very long rifle, above of it the bagged (stag of twelve points). A striped hound puts his fore paws on it and looks … at his master … Besides we see five other hounds in different positions ” (Thienemann).

The Autumn. / L’Automne.

“ Because for heron hawking the autumn is the best time, / The falconer also gets set and ready, / And keeps ready for this upshot for time and hour, / The search just as grey, water spaniel hound. ”

“ An even richer sheet. A falconer … holds with the left a feed before the falcon sitting on the right. Five hounds stand around him … and would like to get something, too. Another (hooded) falcon looks at the birds below it, among which a grey heron, a wild goose, a teal and others ” (Thienemann).

The Winter. / L’Hiver.

“ In winter the bear has the greatest risk, / For at such time his fur is of very fine hair, / The Pole chases him on all sides, / But the mastiff serves the best for it. ”

“ Three mastiffs have killed a bear, but we see what strain it did to them … There a Pole with the spike shows above. He seems to have gained a little from the physiognomy of the bear biters and looks at the killed bag ” (Thienemann).

Ridinger “recommends in winter the bear hunt with the mastiff as practiced by the Poles” (Blüchel).

And here then the recommendation not “to give the slip” to this fine trouvaille – 1991/92 for the last time a copy of it was handled here. For, Ridinger once more,

“ The  care  of  the  hounds  let  be  much  recommended  to  yourself … ”

(so under the title vignette of the “Fair Game hounded by the Different Kinds of Hounds”, Th. 139-160, currently available here in a truffled and also otherwise absolute exception copy).
Offer no. 28,843  /  price on request

“ The prints arrived today! They are very nice. Thank you for excellent service. Please keep me posted for objects I could be interested in! ”

(Mr. J. R. L., September 12, 2003)