Johann Elias Ridinger, “The Age of the Noble Stag”, c. 1721

Johann Elias Ridinger (aka Johann Elias Riedinger) (1698–1767)

“The Age of the Noble Stag”, or “Des Edlen Hirschen Alter” (as titled in the plate), published in 1721

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching with engraving on fine laid paper, trimmed with a margin around the platemark on the top and sides, and trimmed along the platemark on the lower edge. The sheet has been professionally supported on tissue-thin archival (Kozo) washi paper.

This is the second plate in the series “Der Fürsten Jagd-Lust” (The Prince's Hunting Pleasure). Described by Thienemann (1856), the series provides: “Complete and thorough descriptions of the princely pleasures of hunting, or noble hunting, as they are presented according to the true nature and proper use of all the necessary equipment, according to the type and manner of each animal, and especially according to the customary hunting terminology, clearly illustrated and drawn from life” (p. 7). This particular plate is very rare and produced in a smaller format than Ridinger’s later prints. It is understood that Ridinger enlarged the size of his etchings after issuing this and the other seven plates from his initial series once he established a solid market for his work.

Note: The letters “A.V.” inscribed in the publication details on this plate do not refer to a publisher (often fictitiously named “August Vindel” or “Aug. Vindel”). Instead, “A.V.” is an abbreviation of “Augusta Vindelicorum”—the Latin name for Augsburg.

The impression is strong and well-printed, though the sheet exhibits signs of handling and its age, including minor marks, fractures, and thin areas.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 31.7 x 26 cm
• Platemark: 30.5 x 23.5 cm
• Image borderline: 24.9 x 22.4 cm

In-Plate Lettering (below the image borderline):

• Left: “I. El. Ridinger inv. pinx. sc. et exc. A.V”
• Centre (in German and French): “Des Edlen Hirschen Alter. / Der Edle Hirsch hat Gehörne oder Geweihe [...] des Hirsches unsere Läüsste. / L'áge et les qualite du Cerf / On reconnoit l'áge du cerf [...] de tous les cors qu'il peut porter.”
• Right: “avec privil. de Sa M. Imper.”

References:

• Thienemann 14 (Georg Thienemann, Leben und Wirken des ... Thiermalers und Kupferstechers Johann Elias Ridinger, mit ... Verzeichniss seiner Kupferstiche, Schwarzkunstblätter, 1856, Leipzig, Rudolph Weigel, p. 9, cat. no. 14) See: https://archive.org/details/lebenundwirkende00thie/page/n45/mode/2up
• Albertina Museum: https://sammlungenonline.albertina.at/objects/402375/des-edlen-hirschen-alter
• Museum of Fine Arts Ghent (MSK): https://mskgent.be/collection/work/data/2013-GP  

Price & Shipping:

AU$239 (approx. US$168.79 / €143.91 / £125.39), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

To acquire this rare and early etching by Ridinger, along with its detailed description of the attributes of deer as they mature—for example, young deer have horns called “clubtails,” with a curly ring at the horn base called the “rose” or “pearl,” while mature stags develop antlers that are “erupting” at the base and may have eighteen or more tips (fascinating reading!)—please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I am happy to provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless transaction.