German engraver, goldsmith and painter of portraits and altarpieces. He probably began as a goldsmith and perhaps as a sculptor. Early in his career he came in contact with the art of Durer in Nuremberg, and his own style reflects that of the Durer circle, especially of the brothers Beham and Pencz. From about 1528 on he worked in Soest. An ardent supporter of the Reformation, he was highly regarded in his own day. His figure style is often mannered, with reflections of Italian motifs that he did not understand, and some influence from Cranach and Holbein. But he was a master of the art of ornamental design, and exerted an enormous influence on all sorts of crafts, including goldsmiths’ work, and on woodcuts and engravings.