Augustin Braun

Augustin Braun was an artist active across the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, with his documented period of output spanning 1559 to 1614. His surviving body of work, represented in major collections, consists primarily of drawings, suggesting expertise in graphic illustration for books or printmaking.

Braun’s oeuvre reflects a significant engagement with religious and allegorical subjects. Key surviving drawings include dramatic Biblical narratives such as The Prodigal Son Squanders his Fortune with Prostitutes and Saint John the Baptist Appearing Before Herod. He also executed complex preparatory designs for book illustration, evident in works like Title Page for a Bible and Titelpagina met Arbeid (Labor) en Vlijt (Diligentia) voor kunstenaarsatelier. The presence of works like Three Scenes of the Assassination of Clerics indicates a broader interest in historical or polemical themes beyond conventional religious imagery.

The importance of Braun’s draftsmanship is attested by the holdings of his work in prominent international institutions, including the Rijksmuseum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the National Gallery of Art. Due to their age and historical provenance, many of the Augustin Braun prints derived from these designs are in the public domain, allowing for the creation of high-quality prints and scholarship. Five drawings are currently represented in these museum collections.