Wolfgang Kilian (1581 - 1662)

German, 1581 - 1662

BiographyWolfgang Kilian was the son of a goldsmith in Augsburg who died in 1583. His mother remarried the engraver and publisher Dominicus Custos and Wolfgang and his older brother Lucas became his pupils. After four year spent in Italy, from 1604–1608, Wolfgang returned to Augsburg and worked in the Custos workshop with his brother.

At this time Augsburg, a centre of the arts and religious tolerance, underwent a building programme that modernized the city. To recognize this achievement Wolfgang, through the Custos-Kilian workshop, produced ʽLarge map of Augsburg’ (1626), a highly detailed view of Augsburg based on precise measurements and etched on six plates. It was a well-received production and the workshop was highly esteemed and promoted throughout Europe. Lucas, Wolfgang’s brother, was already one of the most celebrated engravers of the day and produced work for royalty and the aristocracy.

Wolfgang opened his own workshop in 1621, just a few houses from his brother's home near Augsburg Cathedral. His sons, Bartholomaus the younger and Philipp, worked with him on the printing press. After the death of his brother Lucas, Wolfgang took up some of his older projects, and embarked on a second career specializing in book illustrations. His sons continued the workshop adopting new techniques and introducing a new baroque style to printmaking in Augsburg.

It is estimated that there are an estimated 2300 known engravings by Wolfgang Kilian.

Person TypeIndividual