Highly Decorative Set of Hand Coloured Copper Dressage Engravings by Ridinger c.1760

A highly decorative set of later hand coloured copper dressage engravings c1760 by Johann Elias Ridinger illustrating the classical movements of the haute école (high school) of riding—the advanced dressage exercises taught in the great European riding academies. The "Representation of several lessons belonging to the art of riding" refers to the renowned copperplate equestrian series by the German master Johann Elias Ridinger (1698–1767). Known as the Kleine Reitschule (The New Riding School), these 18th-century engravings intricately document the principles of Haute École (classical dressage) and daily lessons at European riding academies. These hand coloured plates dating back nearly 266 years have been cleaned by a established professional conservator. Ridinger spent three years studying and sketching animals directly at a riding school in Regensburg. This hands-on observation gave his etchings an exceptional level of biomechanical accuracy. His works feature text in both German and French, reflecting the period's pan-European approach to equestrian art. Original, hand-coloured prints or full book folios of Ridinger's work remain highly sought after by art collectors and equestrian historians. The captions are in German and French, which was common for riding manuals intended for an international aristocratic audience. The plates are signed “J. E. R.”, which corresponds to Johann Elias Ridinger (1698–1767), the famous German animal painter and engraver. Ridinger is often anglicized as “Rindiger” in auction descriptions and old inventories. The subjects shown are classic manege exercises: Travers sur la volte (travers on a circle) À demi airaire sur la ligne (half-air movement on a line) Ballotade Demie Capriole Terre à Terre Trot du manège à la muraille These are all movements associated with the classical schools of riding later preserved at places like the Spanish Riding School. Johann Elias Ridinger (16 February 1698 in Ulm – 10 April 1767 in Augsburg) was a German painter, engraver, draughtsman and publisher. He is considered one of the most famous German engravers of animals, particularly horses, hounds and hunting scenes. His art was also depicted on Meissen porcelain giving wide recognition in his time. He learned the art of engraving from Georg Philipp Rugendas. On the recommendation of Gabriel Spitzel he worked for Wolf, Freiherr von Metternich (1706–1731), he spent three years in Regensburg: his coursing and visits to the riding school there proved decisive for his development. His engraved, etched and scratched sheets show the animals in characteristic movements and positions in a landscape environment. The ornamental movements in his works show visibly Rococo stylistic tendencies. He returned to Augsburg and studied engraving and etching under Georg Philipp Rugendas the Elder (1666–1742). Ridinger married Jacobina zur Helle, the widow of his friend Johannes Seuter in 1723 and shortly after founded his own art publishing house in Augsburg, where most of his works appeared. In 1757 he worked as an assessor at the Protestant Marriage Court and in 1759 he became the director of the Augsburg Stadtakademie. Nearly 1,600 prints were produced by his firm of which 1,200 depict animals. His drawings were often executed with precision and taste and hence his work was held in high esteem and was also transferred to decoration, porcelain and ceramics. He died from a stroke at the age of 69. His sons Martin Elias and Johann Jakob continued to produce prints from his original copperplates.