The renowned German Renaissance graphic artist Hanns Lautensack, who is also known as Hans Sebald Lautensack, was born son of a painter and organ player in Bamberg in 1524.
As of 1527 the family lived in Nuremberg where Hans Sebald Lautensack also served an apprenticeship, details thereof are unknown. It is likely that he learned from a goldsmith, which was quite common for graphic artist in those days.
Hans Sebald Lautensack worked in graphic arts for most of his life, mainly as etcher. Paintings by his hand are not known of, even though archive documents mention Hanns Lautensack as painter.
In his Nuremberg period until 1554 he made city views and, as of 1544, expressive landscape graphics, which show the influence of graphic artists such as Albrecht Altdorfer and Wolf Huber. But Hanns Lautensack also showed mastery in a very dry and objective mode of landscape graphic. In his portrait engravings Hans Sebald Lautensack got on with the Nuremberg portray traditions and introduced the "window view" in the early 1550s.
Hanns Lautensack soon became established as a virtuous graphic artist, which is why Emperor Ferdinand I. called him to Vienna in 1554 , where Hans Sebald Lautensack received the commission to make engravings of his coin collection. Hanns Lautensack's style developed under increasing French and Dutch influences in his days in Vienna. The portrait engravings that now show renowned humanists and members of the court instead of Nuremberg patricians, are increasingly conceived in a mannerist way and often framed by scroll work. His landscape graphics are more geared at Hieronymus Cock, the view is widened in a panorama-like style.
The influential graphic artist Hanns Lautensack died in Vienna in presumably 1564.