Lente 1740 - 1767

Editor: So this is "Lente," or "Spring," by Johann Elias Ridinger, sometime between 1740 and 1767. It’s an engraving and etching currently at the Rijksmuseum. It depicts dogs resting and alert in a landscape. It's interesting to me how much the work focuses on animals. What do you make of that? Curator: I notice the dogs are both resting and guarding. Ridinger created many works focused on animals, reflecting a period fascinated by natural history and the ordering of the natural world. But he’s not just objectively depicting animals, is he? He is presenting the dogs as having a socio-political function. Do you see any hints of that in the landscape? Editor: I do – now that you mention it. The dogs are carefully placed. Some are on high ground, observing from a rocky outcrop. The details seem quite meticulous, perhaps showing ownership or dominion? Curator: Exactly! And that positioning relates to a specific aristocratic context. These aren't just any dogs; they are hunting dogs, symbols of privilege and the control of land. Consider how genre-painting, especially landscape with animals, offered a controlled glimpse into aristocratic life. How would an engraving like this circulate? Editor: Probably among the wealthier classes, reinforcing existing power structures through imagery. Owning something like this was like saying, "I, too, partake in this world of leisure and land ownership." Curator: Precisely. Prints allowed wider access, creating a kind of aspirational viewership. They become active agents in perpetuating social norms. Editor: It’s interesting how art, even depictions of animals, always reflects the social dynamics of its time. I initially saw it as just a pastoral scene! Curator: Indeed! The public role of art, especially the politics embedded in seemingly innocent images, reveals fascinating layers upon closer inspection. It encourages me to look deeper than just face value.