Friedrich Brentel was born in Lauingen in the southern parts of today's Germany. He was an apprentice to his father Georg Brentel who mostly painted heraldic miniatures. Friedrich's earliest known signed works is dated 1596 (currently located in Karlsruhe), where the only 16-year-old artist showed skill in both composition and painting technique.

In the early 1600s Brentel began with etchings and he received several assignments from the German-imperial families which made him both famous and a sought-after artist. When the 30-year war broke out it changed the artist's production. Brentel now targeted the miniature genre where he was excellent.

His miniature portraits were appreciated among noble fami...