The art of engraving gemstones has been admired since the early days of the Roman empire. It was revived in Europe during the Renaissance, and again in the 18th and 19th centuries. Cameos and intaglios were prized and collected, sometimes as symbols of power and mounted in jewelled settings, sometimes as small objects for private devotion or enjoyment. Natter trained as a goldsmith, medallist and engraver of seals and gems. He learned his craft by copying ancient gems in Florence and later published a treatise on the methods used in antiquity. German by birth, he travelled around the courts of Europe and made portraits of many important figures.