Domenicus Custos | Fuggerorum et fuggerarum, Augsburg, 1618, seventeenth-century wealth and fashion depicted

Domenicus Custos

Fuggerorum et fuggerarum, quae in familia natae quave in familiam transierunt quot extant. Augsburg: D. Custos (letterpress printed by A. Aperger), 1618

Second, enlarged edition, folio (480 x 360 mm.), engraved title, coat of arms, 127 FULL-PAGE PORTRAITS WITH ORNATE BORDERS by L. and W. Kilian, contemporary calf gilt, red morocco label with gilt lettering, final leaf (of text) with small repair resulting in loss of a few letters, minor wear to binding

IMPRESSIVE BAROQUE PORTRAITS DEPICTING THE POWERFUL FUGGER FAMILY OF GERMAN MERCHANTS AND BANKERS, whose shrewd business practices earned them vast wealth and influence during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. This work was originally printed in 1593 and contained just 71 portraits by Flemish engraver Domenicus Custos (1560–1612). It was probably printed in quite a small run, as very few copies of the first edition survive. After Custos’s death, the artist’s stepsons, engravers Wolfgang and Lukas Kilian, updated and augmented the work with additional portraits, bringing the total number to the present 127. The recto of each leaf displays a full-page engraving containing the portrait of a family member surrounded by an ornate architectural, circular, or square frame, their coat of arms displayed prominently above them, and heavily embellished with decorative motifs, statuesque figures, putti, and emblems (the versos of the portraits contain genealogical information, such as births, deaths, marriages, and any offspring).

The Fuggers settled in Augsburg in the fourteenth century; the first recorded member of family came from a humble weaving background; within a couple of generations, through a series of fortunate marriages and enterprising business tactics, the descendants worked their way into the merchant class and were eventually granted noble status. The present work covers five generations of family history, commencing with a portrait of Jakob Fugger the Elder (1398-1469), followed soon after by his youngest son, Jakob II, nicknamed “the Rich” (1459-1525), who became one of the wealthiest men who ever lived. It is interesting to note, however, that this work is not dominated by the men of the family; 62 of the portraits represent women. Partly because of this, the book is an especially rich source for costumes of the period, featuring as it does an exquisite array of garments, headpieces, jewellery, and accessories of the highest quality.

REFERENCES: STC German C-1515

PROVENANCE: Marquess of Lansdowne, armorial bookplate, sale in these rooms 18 June 2003, lot 131