Original print by Hanfstaengl Painter, lithographer and later photographer Franz Hanfstaengl (1804 - 1877) established a lithographic company in Munich in 1833. He duplicated not only portraits, but explicitly devoted himself to the reproduction of art. From the middle of the century, he used photography as a new medium of reproduction. His son Edgar (1842 - 1910) introduced the term "Kunstverlag Franz Hanfstaengl" when he took over his father's business in 1868 and further professionalised the reproduction of art. In 1907 Edgar II took over (1883 - 1958) the board of directors. He was one of the founders of the German Democratic Party (DDP) in Munich in 1919 and ran for office in 1932 against the Nazis. His brother Ernst (1887 - 1975), however, was a supporter of Hitler and head of the Foreign Office of the NSDAP since 1931. Soon he fell out of favour and was forced to flee abroad in 1937 from his own party comrades, where he became an advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882 - 1945). After the second world war Edgar II. continued the art publishing house with a more modern publishing program. The growing competition of cheaper offset print resulted in the resolution of the company in 1980. Since 1926, the headquarters were located in the Widenmayerstraße, the building has been preserved. Hanfstaengl (1804 - 1877), from Baiernrain (municipality of Dietramszell, county of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen), initially studied painting at the Munich Academy. He then turned to lithography, a low-cost flat printing process on stone, which had been invented by Alois Senefelder (1771 - 1834). Hanfstaengls lithographs soon got high recognition. His products became nationally important as he began to lithograph masterpieces of the Dresden art gallery in 1835. 195 lithographs were published until 1852, distributed as individual sheets, and as a three-volume work of splendour. In the same year, he renewed his company and requested a "concession to the mass-producing business of the reproduction of art products of higher genus", which now also took photography into account. Hanfstaengl established himself as a leading portrait photographer, published among other things an 'Album der Zeitgenossen' and began to photograph major art collections (e.g. Bavarian National Museum 1864, Alte Pinakothek 1865, Glyptothek 1868). The prestigious studio of the photographer was located from 1864 in the noble Maximilianstraße in Munich. The years around 1900 were highlights in the history of publishing. Towards the end of the 19th century about 100 employees worked for the company. The publisher's range encompassed approximately 7,000 reproductions of so-called "old masters", 11,000 reproductions of "new masters" and a large magnificent work and portrait collection. Illustrated catalogues drew attention to the wide range. The reproductions were offered as photographs and elaborate fine printing, such as pigment printing and photogravure, Claude Monet’s "Fields in spring" are shown, the painting is a masterpiece of Impressionist painting. With it, a work of art came in 1906 to the Stuttgart Gallery, which should serve as starting point for the major collection of modern art. Monet's artistic credo was to represent the intangible, pure light, by showing its effect on the visible things. Only the interaction of thousands of strokes of pure colour forms the composition and gives the impression of a bright spring landscape. The fact that Monet freed his image largely of narrative elements, he focused the viewer’s gaze on the phenomenon of his then-revolutionary conception of art. Original work: Oil on canvas, Staatsgalerie Stuttgart. The painting has been framed.