Johann Lorenz Haid

Johann Lorenz Haid was an artist documented as active between 1720 and 1745, specializing primarily in graphic arts. His surviving output, consisting of both prints and drawings, demonstrates skill in handling both devotional and figurative subjects during the second quarter of the 18th century.

The artist is represented in major North American institutions; seven objects attributed to Haid, including five prints and two drawings, are preserved in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His work encompasses large-scale religious narratives, exemplified by the print Scene with Saint Peter Healing the Lame in a Rocaille Cartouche and the composition The Virgin and Child with Saints and Angels, and God the Father in the Sky.

Haid is also noted for his interpretive graphic work, particularly a series of imaginary portrait heads executed after designs originally conceived by Giovanni Battista Piazzetta. This series provides insight into the popular aesthetic interests of the era and includes pieces such as Imaginary portrait head of a man in a feathered hat and Imaginary portrait head of a man wearing a cap and fur-trimmed coat. Other documented drawings, such as Portrait of a Young Woman Holding a Mask, confirm his versatility in individual figurative study. The preservation of original Johann Lorenz Haid prints and drawings in public collections means that high-quality prints and downloadable artwork are often available for study. Many of these museum-quality pieces are now considered part of the public domain.