Johann Gottlieb Amadeus Prestel, a German engraver and painter was born on November 18, 1739. Prestel received his early art training through a carpenter in his hometown. At the age of 21, Prestel moved to Venice in 1760, where he studied under Giuseppe Nogari who accepted him as a student. He was later recommended to an engraver, Jacques Wagner.

In 1762, he moved to Rome and he was unsuccessful artistically. He worked for a company that manufactured brushes. After several moves across Italy, he moved to Nuremberg, Germany in 1769. In Nuremberg, Prestel worked with oil paint and pastel for portraits, while giving drawing lessons.

In 1775, Johann Caspter Lavater offered Prestel a job to do various contract work doing mostly portraits. After many unsuccessful attempts at running a collaborative company of engraving work after other artists, Prestel opened his own art gallery in 1786.

Prestel died on October 5, 1808.