Ridinger, Johann Elias (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). An Old Horse’s Upper Jaw-Bone as seen from Below. Fully executed study in grey and brown water colours over graphite. Inscribed by old hand in brown ink below left: Oberer Pferdekiefer (Upper Jaw-Bone). Ca. 1765. 257 x 145 mm.
Provenance: Boguslav Jolle, Dresden and Vienna, his ligated monogram stamp in blue (Lugt 381a) below right, presumably on his sale of “the Famous Collection of Drawings and Watercolors of Old and Modern Masters” Munich October 28-31, 1895; Hugo Helbing, Munich. Catalogue XXXIV (1900), Arbeiten von J. E. und M. E. Ridinger, no. 1554.
Illustration: WELTKUNST vol. LXIV, p. 2688 (editorial contribution).
Fully accomplished study on fine slightly toned laid paper with large watermark Rope-waving Acrobat on a Globe balancing on a Platform, similar to Heawood 1364 + 1365, but a bit larger and much finer and more detailed. The paper itself corresponding to those Dutch papers Ridinger used only “for the fine illumination” for the colored works since “it is the most decent and best for such a task” as he states in the preface of his “Main Colours of the Horses” and in such a way suggesting a dating at about 1765.
Unparalleled within the drawing portfolios described by Thienemann and also not among the about 1849 works comprehended in the 829-lot Ridinger-section in Weigel’s Catalogue of left drawings of 1869, and in the collection of 234 drawings sold at auction in 146 lots by Wawra in Vienna on May 19 ff, 1890 resp.
Only the legendary album of the Counts of Faber-Castell containing 95 drawings – for the most part purchased about 1830 directly from the Ridinger heirs and thus not gone through Weigel’s hands – contained an “Animal Jaw Drawing” dated 1718 as together the earliest one of the album. Thus thematically in the Ridinger œuvre almost matchless, completely executed anatomical study of extraordinarily artistic and collectable fascination.
The several parts and areas of the jaw-bone numbered up to 37 comparably to the drawings for the first plates of the “Main Colours” on possible omission of the numbers 1, 3, 6, 8 + 29.
Left of the inscription traces of deleted date or year (…9?). – Below right inscribed by old hand with pencil: Joh. Elias Riedinger (sic!) f. – Verso traces of previous mounting at the corners and narrow stripes at the middle of side margins. A needle-pin-small puncture restored and almost invisible from the front. Otherwise absolutely fresh. – Set into an acid-free passepartout with 23.5-carat gilt stamped artist’s name and dates.
Boguslav Jolle started soon after 1870 to collect drawings which he brought together on many travels at home and abroad over the next two decades. If he took over the jaw-bone from the Domela Nieuwenhuis collection (Lugt 356b) as the source of a large part of his German drawings must kept open by now. His own 1567-lot collection was sold at auction by Helbing in Munich in 1895. Whether the Horse’s Upper Jaw-Bone was among them and whether Helbing took it over for himself cannot be traced by now, too.
Offer no. 28,861 / price on request