Een patrijshond en twee kwartels in een landschap met een fontein 1708 - 1767

This is Johann Elias Ridinger’s etching, "A Pointer and Two Quails in a Landscape with a Fountain." Notice how Ridinger orchestrates the interplay between the natural and the constructed. The ornate fountain, a symbol of human imposition on nature, contrasts with the organic forms of the dog, birds, and surrounding landscape. The landscape is meticulously detailed, with each blade of grass, leaf, and feather rendered with precision. This detail underscores the inherent structure within nature itself. The composition is divided into distinct planes. In the foreground, the dog is poised, creating a visual bridge to the elaborate fountain that dominates the middle ground. Beyond, the landscape fades into the distance, suggesting a world of unseen possibilities. This work challenges the notion of nature as purely wild or untamed. Instead, it presents a vision where nature and culture coexist, each influencing and informing the other. The fountain, while artificial, becomes an integrated part of the landscape, and the animals, though free, are framed by its presence.