Jager legt aan op een edelhert in het water onder een oude boom 1735

Johann Ridinger rendered this drawing, "Hunter Aiming at a Red Deer in the Water under an Old Tree", with pen and brown ink around 1738. Ridinger, who lived during the height of the Baroque era, would have felt the social and political structures shifting. Ridinger was a renowned artist of his time, celebrated for his depictions of animals, hunting scenes, and equestrian subjects. His work reflects the aristocratic pastimes of the 18th century, a period marked by rigid social hierarchies and the pursuit of leisure by the ruling class. Here, Ridinger presents us with a scene of hunting, a pursuit often associated with power, wealth, and masculinity. But look closer: the hunter’s presence is partially hidden, as if to imply that the hunt is as much a part of nature as the stag itself. What does it mean when humans exert their power over nature? Ridinger's composition invites us to reflect on the roles and relationships within the natural world.