Georg Philipp Rugendas II descended from one of the great artistic families of Augsburg. He specialized, even at an early stage in his career, in animal scenes, but also continued to fashion Italianising landscapes in the tradition of his father, the renowned Georg Philipp Rugendas I (1666-1742). Later, he usually assumed the role of engraver in the family’s workshop, and enlisted his own son Georg Lorenz I (1730-1791) as his collaborator.