Johann Elias Ridinger (Ulm 1698-1767 Augsburg)

Ridinger, who is best-known for his superbly detailed prints and drawings of animals, studied in Ulm, Augsburg and Regensburg before returning to Augsburg in 1722 to establish a successful studio and print-publishing business. The present drawing and its related engraving belong to a series of prints entitled 'Die von verschiedenen Arthen der Hunden behaetzte Jagtbare Thiere', which was published in 1761 (Thienemann, op. cit., p. 39) and which consists of 22 engravings showing confrontations between wild animals and various breeds of hunting dogs. Thienemann describes how, in the present work, the lynx fends off the intruding dogs with a snarl as it holds its ground on an elevated rock (op. cit., p. 40).