Born in Kassel, Zeuner arrived in Amsterdam around 1750, although his first known work dates from after 1770. He perfected techniques for engraving in gold and silver leaf, and his jewel-like pictures were greatly admired in fashionable Dutch circles. Zeuner's oeuvre consists mainly of town views, largely of Amsterdam, as well as Haarlem, Utrecht and Groningen. However, he also specialized in views of country houses, such as those on the Vecht and the Amstel near Amsterdam, which are generally based on engravings by his contemporaries Jan de Beyer (1703-1780) and Wiebrand Hendriks (1744-1831) as well as canal and harbour scenes (see J. Sprenkels-Ten Horn and A. Sprenkels, Jonas Zeuner 1727-1814, Zijn wereld weerspiegeld in zilver en goud, Abcoude/Amsterdam, 1994).