Jager legt aan op een edelhert in het water onder een oude boom

About this artwork

penseel in grijs en bruin, potlood, doorgegriffeld

Art Historical Context

Johann Elias Ridinger, a prolific 18th-century German artist renowned for his vivid depictions of animals and hunting scenes, created *Jager legt aan op een edelhert in het water onder een oude boom* in 1735. This drawing captures a tense moment in the hunt: a hunter taking aim at a majestic red deer wading in water beneath an ancient tree. Measuring just 275mm high by 200mm wide, it exemplifies Ridinger's mastery of wildlife artistry during the Baroque era, when such subjects symbolized nobility, nature's drama, and human prowess. Executed in brush with grays and browns, accented by pencil and perforated for tracing—a technique common in Ridinger's workshop for reproducing designs—the work showcases his innovative mixed-media approach. The monochromatic palette heightens the drama, with subtle tonal variations evoking mist-shrouded forests and rippling water, blending realism with dynamic composition. Ridinger's output, often published in lavish folios, influenced European hunting art and natural history illustration. This piece reflects the era's fascination with the chase as a metaphor for life's pursuits, offering visitors a glimpse into 18th-century naturalism and the artistry of Augsburg's Ridinger studio.

About the Artist

Johann Elias Ridinger · 1698–1767

Johann Elias Ridinger (1698–1767) was born in Ulm into an artistic family, the son of scribe and artist Johann Daniel Ridinger and Regina Catharina Miller. He received his initial training in Ulm under the painter Christoph Resch, who instructed him in perspective, geometry, and architecture while assigning preparatory tasks like painting wax models. Around 1713, Ridinger moved to Augsburg, where ...