DeutschThe “Round” or “Mirror” Stag –
hunting historically + pictorially fascinating
Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). This Large Strong Stag of 16 Points whose antlers were grown together above in such a way that one could not pass through with the back of a knife and additionally even with a point grown up under the rose has been hunted by his highness the ruling Landgrave Louis (VIII) of Hesse-Darmstadt in the Ruppen Fang Aug. 23, 1740. Etching with engraving by Martin Elias Ridinger (1730 Augsburg 1780). (1767/68.) Inscribed: Joh. El. Ridinger inv. del. et exc. Aug. Vind. / Martin El. Ridinger sculps., otherwise in German as before. 34.9 x 26.1 cm.
Sheet 90 (Thienemann + Schwarz 332; Ridinger catalogue Darmstadt, 1999, VI.9, “The Round Stag”, with ills.; Siebert-Weitz, Ridinger, 1999, pp. 42 f., “The Mirror Stag” because “the growth could give the frame for an oval mirror”, with ills.) of the “Wondrous Stags”.
At which not only after realization here the consequence of the eldest, Martin Elias, as the etcher/engraver of the plate here being up for the Ridinger œuvre is much larger than that of an engaged co-worker only. Already at an age of thirty he just acted as a spiritus rector behind the backstage ensuring that sets were completed as just also the monumental 101-sheet one of the “Wondrous Stags” to which the plate here belongs, too. Of the last 27 works Martin Elias conveyed to the printing-plates alone 21! Without him the plate offered to you here would not be in existence!
And as Wolf Stubbe (Joh. El. Ridinger, Hbg./Bln. 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.
The original number “90” restored again only on occasion of a later 19th century new complete edition after it had been changed in “34” for a 50-sheet set of the stags alone of 1824/25.
“ 1740 the landgrave shot a stag of 16 points
whose antlers had closed at the tips like a crown .
It hangs in the round hall (‘Rondellsaal’) together with the stag’s portrait, was painted by Spengler, engraved by Ridinger, and still in the 19th century copied by head forester Koch ”
(Gisela Siebert, Kranichstein, 1969, page 65).
“ Model for the engraving presumably was a drawing from the antlers which Ridinger got sent from Darmstadt ”
(Catalog Darmstadt. Illustrated there under VI.9a also the oil possibly by Zacharias Sonntag).
Ref. no. 15,010 / in stock – not catalogued / request description & offer