Wolfgang Kilian

Wolfgang Kilian (10 May 1581 – 1662) was a German engraver and member of the Kilian family of engravers in Augsburg.

Biography He was the son of Bartholomaus Kilian the elder and Maria Pfeiffelmann. After his father's death in 1583, his mother remarried Dominicus Custos and he and his brother Lucas became his pupils. He and his brother trained under his stepfather in a family workshop that was deeply embedded in the artistic milieu of Augsburg, a city renowned for its flourishing arts and crafts scene. From 1604 to 1608, he travelled in Italy and worked in Venice, Mantua, and Milan. On his return, he married and continued in the family workshop.

In his early career, Wolfgang collaborated closely with his brother Lucas Kilian, producing genealogical portrait series and ornamental prints that catered to the tastes of the time. One of their notable joint projects was the "Fuggerorum et Fuggerarum Imagines" (1620), a series of portraits depicting members of the influential Fugger family. Wolfgang also created the "Large Map of Augsburg" (1626), a detailed bird's-eye view of the city etched on six plates, showcasing his technical precision and artistic prowess.

Recent research, as part of the Hollstein German Series, has cataloged nearly 2,300 works attributed to Wolfgang Kilian.