Heinrich Lauenstein

He worked as a decorative painter until 1859 when, thanks to a grant from King George V of Hanover., he was able to enroll at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf.

In 1863, he attended history painting classes taught by Eduard Bendemann then, from 1867, studied with the religious painter, Ernst Deger.

His work in that genre was heavily influenced by the Nazarenes, whose style had become largely obsolete by the end of the 1860s.

Their first-born daughter, Ottilie, married the insurance manager, Johannes Nordhoff [de].

Some of his most familiar works were commissioned by the German-American businessman and art collector, John D. Lankenau, of Philadelphia.