In 1493 Daniel Hopfer, a member of a South German family of artists, acquired citizenship in Augsburg, where in addition to his artistic activity he held offices in the painters' guild and the city council. He was one of the first to transfer the etching technique used in the decoration of metal to printmaking, and in doing so contributed greatly to the invention of the etching. Hopfer was one of the most important armour etchers for Emperor Maximilian I. In addition to ornamenting weapons and a few drawings, his work is above all comprised of etchings produced on steel plates. His sheets of ornaments, which as patterns contributed greatly to the development and dissemination of the stock of Italian Renaissance decorative forms in the applied arts in Germany, were among his most important works. Among his late works are etched handbills relating to his championship of the Reformation.
