Spring. | Le Printems.
Summer. | L’Ete.

Summer. | L’Ete.
Autumn. | L’Automne.

Autumn. | L’Automne.
Winter. | L’Hiver.

Winter. | L’Hiver.
Spring. | Le Printems.

Johann Elias Ridinger (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). The Four Seasons of the Hounds. Set of 4 sheet in etching with engraving. Supposedly early 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. 18¼-18⅜ × 13¾ in (46.5-46.8 × 34.8-34.9 cm).

Thienemann & Schwarz 105-108; Nagler 25; Catalog Weigel sects. XIX (1847!!), 16545 (collective no., old now only scarcely occurring impressions) & XXVIII (1857), Ridinger-Appendix, 10 A (Old impressions on laid paper, followed by B as New impressions); Silesian Ridinger collection at Boerner XXXIX, 1793 ( “Rare”, 1885! ); Reich auf Biehla 18 ( “Rare”, 1894! ); Gg. Hamminger collection 1542 ( “Rare set”, 1895! ); Helbing XXXIV (Arbeiten von J. E. u. 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) merely had the Spring sheet only.

The in each aspect splendid copy of this in old impressions always scarce pictorial marvelous set on unfolded laid paper with not sufficiently legible typographic and crown detail watermarks in at least two sheet, yet likely the heavy WANGEN laid paper of the Loth dynasty of the Lotten mill in Nieder-Wangen on the Argen preferred by the Ridingers. Side edges 1⅜-2¼ in (3.4-5.7 cm) wide, above/below 2⅛-3⅞ in (5.4-9.9 cm), resulting in a sheet size of 24½ × 17¼ in (62.1-62.3 × 43.7-43.8 cm) and thus slightly surpassing Schwerdt’s copy (23⅝ × 16¾ in [60 × 42.5 cm]).

In such a manner having been embedded in others like it. Right up to the superior printing quality fully playing off its chiaroscuro, freshness and, indeed, unfolded state! What perforce is tantamount to an original supply source.

At top each both the two tiny holes of the original stitching. From this time, too, the entirely negligible dust mark of three far edges of the Spring. The Summer sheet with inward decreasing and optically little conspicuous crease of ¾-2 × 6¾ in [2-5 × 17 cm) in the right white lower margin, initially providently backed acid-freely. Otherwise of aforesaid perfect state.

Offer no. 16,313 | price on application