August Matthias Hagen (23 February 1794 – 2 December 1878) was a Baltic German painter and graphic artist.

The following year, he began work in the graphics studio of Karl August Senff, who taught painting and engraving at the University of Dorpat.

He later took extended hikes through Switzerland and Italy, as far as Rome, keeping detailed diaries and making a huge number of sketches.

[1] In 1837, following a successful exhibition in Saint Petersburg, he was designated a "free artist" by the Imperial Academy of Arts and, the following year, succeeded his mentor Senff as Professor of drawing at the University of Tartu.

Not wishing to remain idle, he discovered that his sight was still good enough to take up photography and his small salon became very popular.