Johann Elias Ridinger (1698-1767)

German draughtsman, engraver and publisher in Augsburg.

Ridinger was a pupil of Christoph Rasch in Ulm and of Johann Falk in Augsburg. From 1714 until 1718 he stayed in Regensburg. During that time his interest for hunting grew up and he started to paint mainly wild animals and hunting scenes.

Then he opened a publishing house in Augsburg and from 1722 he created and published numerous series of copper engravings with wild animals, hunting and horse-riding scenes. His master drawings for these series are high-quality documents for the understanding of the world of hunting and wildlife at that time. 1759 Ridinger became director of the academy of arts in Augsburg.

Literature: Thienemann, Georg A.W.: "Leben und Wirken des unvergleichlichen Thiermalers und Kupferstechers Johann Elias Ridinger...", Amsterdam 1962 (Leipzig 1856).