Ridinger, Johann Elias. (Representation of the Fair Game with their respective Traces and Scents, Goings, Get-Offs, Turns, Flight, and other Signs … drawn from nature) / Abbildung der Jagtbaren Thiere mit derselben angefügten Fährten und Spuren, Wandel, Gänge, Absprünge, Wendungen, Widergängen, Flucht und anderer Zeichen mehr. Set of preparatory drawings in brush, chalk and graphite of 1737/39. Full-Size Facsimile Edition in four colours. Ed. by Karl Sälzle. 1980. Large fol. 77 pp., 1 l. incl. plts. With

32  plates  along  with  the  father’s  portrait  in  mezzotint

by Johann Jacob Ridinger of 1767 + title of the work’s printed edition of 1740 ( ask for two unequalled copies of that ). Orig. marbled h. vellum with vellum-corners in uniform h. cloth slipcase.

(Thienemann p. 275, i.) – Text (in German) in red + black. – Published for the first time. – Splendid edition of a complete set of preparatory drawings in reverse (except for the title-vignette) to the etched/engraved 23-sheet set Th. 162-185 along with its original text. Depicted are 26 animals in their grandiose environment and their partly more detailed traces etc. in original size excepting the reduced ones of lion + tiger (recte “maybe a jaguar”, Th.) as “not to be found in our forests”. Three final plates with the strongly reduced tracks along the lines of a modern summary. The subfields for the traces in their original sizes under the respective pictorial sceneries partly blanc or uncompletely executed and worked only on separate sheets. So in 11 cases here collected on 7 plates.

This edition of the preparatory drawings documents at the same time the

variants  +  errors

the knowledge of which along with a additionally optical pleasure qualifies the set as a very important supplementation to the definitive work.

Pictorial variants relates to the crown-stag Th. 166 + to the otter Th. 178 (the latter “brought into a unfavourable other position” in the etching). In the drawings still “strongly misdrawn” roebuck, lynx and beaver (Th. 171, 172, 177), but the wildcat (Th. 180) more naturally depicted in the drawing strongly changed then in the copper. More carefully executed there, however, the mountains which are outlined only on the drawing.

But of the really highest importance the drawings of hare (Th. 175) and badger (Th. 179). The former with its confounded designations of two scents unseen by Ridinger even at the earliest impressions and healed then for the present only provisionally in its – so the opinion here – own copy now here in stock. The latter concerns the badger’s leg twice incorrectly designated as “Fus” (foot). This mistake escaped Ridinger himself even in the copy here and described by us for the first time. See hereto issue 18 of the publications of the ridinger gallery.

So unknown-interesting Ridinger could be. And

so  splendidly  beautiful  +  instructive  this  representative first  edition

of the drawings –formerly priced by the publisher with moderate 700 German marks = 358 EUR – to one of the naturally most important sets.

But by which in regard of Ridinger the matter doesn’t rest in no way as stated here for the first time.

For no less a man than this the marten-weasel-sheet from this served together with two further Ridinger coppers as inspiration for his painting “Playing Weasels” of 1911, Hoberg-Janssen 144 with ills.

In such a way known with Ridinger as source till now only Marc’s woodcut “Riding School after Ridinger” of 1913 (Lankheit 839) as detail interpretation of the mounted rider as background figure of the third sheet, Th. 608, of the 1722 Riding School annotated by literature with

(Christian von Holst, Franz Marc – Pferde, 2003, pp. 166 ff. inside of [‘… the Kick of my Horses’]).

For already his oil “Playing Weasels” worked two years before reveals the knowledge of quite several Ridinger coppers from entirely different sets. Marc shows two weasels, of which the one, bowed over a bough, looks down upon the other sitting in raised attitude. The trees besides of an eccentricity as in this ostensible density used by him only still on the two “Acts under Trees”, H.-J. 143, of the same year. For the thematic primer detonation stands Ridinger’s small sized sheet “The Weasels”, Th. 479, of 1740 as sheet 89 of the set “Design of Several Animals”. Also here two playing ones, but both on the earth in completely different surroundings. The latter Marc splitted up. And took the attitude of the two animals from sheet 86 of the set, the two pine martens Th. 476. The young one of them, bowing over a low bough like at Marc and looking at the dam standing on the hind paws against the trunk, baiting with a captured bird. The same situation shows “Playing Squirrels” as sheet 88 (Th. 478), only with the difference of a further one on the tree, too, but keeping a little aloof and not involved in the play. But the bizarre trees – and as such ones Sälzle characterized they expressly in the edition here – as rather rarer for Ridinger, too, he took over from sheet 19, Th. 181, of the set here with the marten on the tree at the same attitude and a weasel on the ground shown, however, neutrally.

Thus Marc formulated his “Playing Weasels” just so by means of divers Ridinger copies as the latter on his part his “The Amusement of the Shepherds” after Watteau, Th.-Stillfried 1397, composed from four models of the French. That finally the trees as more typical for Ridinger was not unfamiliar to Marc, too, shows the right group of trees of his forest picture “The Würm near Pipping” from 1902/03, H.-J. 15 with ills. By the way a lithograph of the same name has been preceded to the oil of his “Playing Weasels” in 1909/10.

But also the par force scenery on the watercolor “Ried Castle” worked one year later – Holst, ills. 11, p. 29 – stands for a further example of Marc’s occupation with Ridinger,

which  in  this  plurality  has  not  been  seen  till  now .

Offer no. 28,595 / EUR  270. / export price EUR  257. (c. US$ 359.) + shipping

“ Many thanks for your message. Thank you very much for sending the (Anthonie) Waterloo … I am grateful to you for the opportunity to buy the etching. It was interesting to learn about its provenance … The Waterloo etching arrived safely today, beautifully wrapped. Thank you very much indeed ”

(Mr. M. L., April 24 and 29 resp. and May 6, 2003)