Jagdfalken, auf einem Ast eines gefällten Baumes sitzend, unter ihnen ein vorstehender Cocker Spaniel 

Johann Ridinger made this drawing of hunting falcons, perched on a felled tree above a spaniel, in 18th century Germany. The drawing offers insight into the cultural and institutional history of the period. Falconry, once a vital means of obtaining food, had become an aristocratic sport by this time, pursued by the landed gentry, and, in some cases, royalty. Ridinger produced many such drawings and prints of animals for this wealthy class. The image here uses the visual codes of this landed gentry, showing nature as something tamed by nobility. The falcons are hooded, and sit obediently, waiting to be unleashed. The spaniel is alert, trained to flush out game. But nature is not entirely tamed here, the large felled tree suggesting both human intervention, and nature’s uncontrollable power. To understand this drawing fully we might want to look at other examples of animal drawings and prints by Ridinger, as well as examining books on the history of falconry. In doing so, we can come to understand the way in which this image reflects the values and social structures of its time.