A Stag Caught by a Pack of Hounds, c. 1755
Johann Elias Ridingerexpand_more
Pen and black and brown ink over black chalk, on ledger book sheet of laid paperexpand_more
Gift of funds from Robert and Lucy Mitchellexpand_more 2017.78
Not on Viewexpand_more
Here we see a pack of hunting dogs bringing down a stag. As a young artist, Johan Elias Ridinger had spent years witnessing such events at aristocratic courts. Though it is unlikely that he drew this scene during an actual hunt, he tapped his deep experience of such moments to vividly imagine and recreate the action. Here, near the end of his own life, he matched his handling of his pencil and pen to the violent energy of the event. By the time Ridinger made this drawing, he was considered the leading maker of prints and drawings of animals in all of Germany. When producing such images for public consumption, he worked in a meticulous, polished style, but here we see the fury that he could bring to his art when working to satisfy his own needs.
Details
- Title
- A Stag Caught by a Pack of Hounds
- Artist Life
- 1698–1767
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2017.78
- Provenance
- Sale, Karl & Faber, Munich, April 29, 2016, part of no. 164; sold to Teeuwisse; [Nicolaas Teeuwisse, Berlin, 2016-2017, see his catalogue XVII, p. 84-5, no. 32; sold to Mia]
- Curator Approved
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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