Family Artists

A couple days ago I said we went to the High Museum and among other things we saw the copper engraving art of Lorenzo Ghibarti. I don’t think I used the word “engraving” because I couldn’t think of it.

I also said in some future posting I would tell you about my Killian family and their involvement in copper engravings (but I think I said “art” instead of “engravings”.

This is the future posting I was telling you about but the Future is actually the Present, but not for long. It will soon the Past.

My ancestors Bartholumas Kilian (1548-1583) and Maria Pfeyfeelman had three sons. Bartholumus died and Maria married Dominicus Custos. Dominicus was a copper engraver and taught his three step sons his methods, which they went on and became copper engravers as well.

The three sons:

Lucas Ruben Kilian (1579-1637). Lucus was born and died in Augsburg. Once he went Italy, in 1602 and 1603, he lived in Venice. He worked in his stepfather's business until his stepfather died in 1616. He then worked for his brother Wolfgang KILIAN. He married (1) Barbara MILLER (d. 1620), daughter of a business man. After her death Lucus married (2) Magdalena HARTBERG. Between both marriages he sired thirteen children, but all died. He had no descendants. He did engravings for children's books on copper plates. His work was rated highest among his family and was considered outranked as artist by Albrecht DUERRER only. He also was talented in the art work on pianos. Special work that he did on pianos can be seen in a museum in Bleiburg.

Wolfgang Kilian (1581-1662). Wolfgang KILIAN was the son of Bartholomus and Maria (PFEYFFELMAN) KILIAN and the stepson of Dominicus CUSTOS. Dominincus CUSOS was an engraver who taught Wolfgang his trade. After his brother Locus KILIAN returned from Italy Wolfgang went south to Mantua. In 1604-08, he went to Mailand, Venice, and Kane. In 1611, at age thirty, he married a goldsmith's daughter Susanna ENDRESSÄ
.
After his stepfather died he and his brothers established their own business. His brother Lucus and he were separated a few times but remained close (in heart) to each other.

In 1605, during the business of Stepfather Dominicus CUSTOS nine portraits are found to have been done by Wolfgang KILIAN. Eleven portraits of the family lineage of the Duke of Bavaria were done by Wolfgang. He also did several religious portraits. Wolfgang wrote nine poems from the engravings "Four Seasons of the Year", which was considered popular for the times. These and several of his portraits can be found in book form in Museums in Germany.
Unfortunately, I do not have the names of these books. I have been informed that the New York City Public Library also carry some art books to represent that time in Augsburg and some of the engravings have KILIAN signatures.

Wolfgang KILIAN and Susanna ENDRESS had nine girls and six boys. But only three girls and three boys lived to adulthood. The girls (as far as this paper is concerned) became anonymous, losing their identities blending with their husbands' families.

Magnus Kilian (1583- ? ). It is not known whether he left his family or not. As an engraver, his work was considered less than his two brothers. Some researchers believe that he migrated east to Austria.

Wolfgang Kilian married Susanna Endriss. They had three sons:

Johann Baptist Kilian (1623-1697). He went with his brother Philipp in 1648, when he was twenty-five, to Italy. He was a goldsmith by trade. He stayed in Rome and Florence for some time. His work was found in some of the big churches. He lived in the home of a goldsmith named Leonhard HECKENAUR. Still today, portraits exists that he did of Leonhard and his brother Bartholomus KILIAN.

Philip Kilian (1628-1693). Like other members of his family Philp was an engraver by trade.
He went with his brother Johann Baptist KILIAN to Italy, Venice, and
Florence. He stayed only a few years. His signature "Filippo Kilian" was found on a painting of Stef-Scolari in Venice. He also added book illustrating to the art of engraving and is known to have made some of the earlier engravings of anatomical and botanical treaties. It has been said that some of his anatomicalillustrations were unnecessarily gruesome. Also, he did a portrait of Priest Kitzinger.
Philip and Susanna (LOTTER) KILIAN had twelve children. Only two
girls and two boys lived to adulthood. Both boys worked with their father in his shop. The two girls' names are unknown.

Bartholaus Kilian (1640-1695). After learning his trade Bartholomus went to Frankfort for three years and afterwards went to Paris for two and a half years. When he was about twenty-five, in 1655, he married Rosina WARNBURGER. After Rosina died he married the daughter of J. W. HECKENAUR (which I suppose was closely related to Lenhard HECKENAUR, goldsmith and brother Johann's landlord). He not only made portraits but also engravings in copper. Even in time of wars and hard times his business was good. Some of his engravings and portraits are still in the KILIAN's family collection in the city library in Augsburg. Two more plates in copper in the city of Dresden..

Philip Kilian married Susanna Lotter. They had two sons:

Johannes Wolfgang Philip Kilian (1654- ?). He worked with his father in his shop. And as most other KILIANs of that time he was an artist/engraver.
He married three times: (1) Margaretha FISHER, (2) Maria FRAMMER,
and (3) Anna Dorathea WARNBERGERA in 1696 when he was about forty-one years old. He and Anna Dorathea lived in Konisberg where the younger children was born. Then they moved back to
Germany.

Hendrich Kilian (bef 1701- ?). Henrich migrated to Pennsylvania. The male line died out completely.

Andreas Andrew KILIAN/KILLIAN (1701-1799). Andreas moved to America and changed his surname to Killian. He died in Lincoln Co., NC.

The text details I just copied and pasted from my genealogy program (Family Tree Maker) onto Word.

There were more copper engraving artists in the extended family, but you get the idea.