Three hunting dogs 1721

Editor: This is "Three Hunting Dogs" by Johann Elias Ridinger, created around 1721 using chalk, graphite, and pencil on paper. It strikes me how much detail there is; you can almost feel the texture of the dog's fur. What are your thoughts on it? Curator: I'm particularly interested in the physical process and materials used. Chalk, graphite, and pencil are readily available, seemingly humble tools, yet they're employed here to depict animals which themselves are instruments of labour and elite privilege. Ridinger straddles a line, doesn’t he, between craft and high art? Editor: That’s an interesting perspective, to see the materials in relation to the subject matter. What do you mean about ‘elite privilege’? Curator: Hunting, historically, wasn’t a sport for everyone. The dogs themselves, bred and trained for specific tasks, represent significant investment of resources and skill. Ridinger, through his work, perhaps inadvertently reveals the complex relationship between humans, animals, and social hierarchy. Editor: I never considered the dogs as symbols of wealth before, just as part of the scenery. The labour of the artist too – his craftsmanship, is it a means of legitimizing the hunting lifestyle? Curator: Precisely! How the means of production – Ridinger’s skilled hand and readily available materials – serve to both represent and perhaps even reinforce the prevailing social order of 18th-century aristocratic life. What do you make of that backdrop detail and staging? Editor: Now I see it! Thank you for highlighting these connections between material, labour, and society. I will definitely think more critically about the materials used when approaching a piece. Curator: Indeed, the choice of materials can unlock layers of meaning we often overlook. Every mark carries intention, cultural baggage.