Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). Un grand vieux Cerf en sa reposée s’admirant. A Stag of 24 points in his lair in the rest. Lying “in a fine park, also in rutting season” before steps with walk lined by statues. In the latter a second royal one. Etching with engraving. (1736.) Inscribed: 11. / Cum Priv. Sac. Cæs. Majest. / I. El. Ridinger inv. pinx. Sculps. et excud. Aug. Vindel., otherwise as above in German, French, Latin, & below. 13⅝ × 17 in (34.6 × 43.2 cm).
Exhibition
(Fine Hunting Bag — Pictures of Hunting)
Dr. Hanns Simon Foundation Bitburg
January 13 – March 3, 2013
Literature
Catalog Book to the Exhibition
Pages 140/41 (double full-page detail illustration) + 148/II
Thienemann ( “ Ridinger cannot part from his favorite subject ” ) + Schwarz 206. – Sheet 11 of the STUDY OF THE WILD ANIMALS with the caption of the Hamburg pope of poets, jurist & senator, yet foremost friend of Ridinger’s, Barthold Heinrich Brockes (1680-1747), in German. – With WANGEN watermark as so characteristic for contemp. impressions, as well as a figurative one. – Margins on three sides 4, below 2.8 cm wide. – The utterly smoothed centerfold reinforced on the back. Almost only in the white margin faintly foxing.
“ … one sees here … lying quite majestically … But , isn’t it considered , I cried touched by the art , how by a little black earth , such an animal as if it were alive , is represented lively , look ! the neck moves ! look his antlers crown him ! , look how each muscle were to be seen even through the skin ! from his eyes the stag’s spirit looks . Can one paint his legs’ cloven hoofs’ hardness , polish and firmness more distinctly with colors ? Even more , one sees with pleasure ,
how this sheet filled with art has still before all other sheets ,
something special … ”
In short, not least and by chance already in 1901 Ernst Welisch qualified Ridinger as the indisputably “most important Augsburg landscapist of this time”. Here then
of marvelous quality & therefore rarity ,
for even in exemplary old Ridinger collections the old impressions of particularly this so fine large-sized main set frequently figure as closely trimmed, damaged, and fully mounted. So including present one in the Silesian collection 1885 at Boerner, 1894 with Reich auf Biehla & at least without platemark also 1889 with Coppenrath.
Offer no. 15,424 | EUR 1100. | export price EUR 1045. (c. US$ 1263.) + shipping
“ … And I also received your wonderful documents on Charles Le Brun and the other wonderful images including the three-legged deer. Wonderful. Thank you so very much! … ”
(Mrs. S. W., October 21, 2008)