Fuggerorum et fuggerarum, quae in familia natae quave in familiam transierunt quot extant

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THE LANSDOWNE COPY. Second edition, enlarged. Augsburg: A. Aperger (letterpress) for D. Custos, 1618. Folio (480mm x 360mm): with an engraved title, engraved armorial achievement and 127 engraved portraits within ornate borders by L. and W. Kilian. Bound in contemporary calf gilt. Rubbed, with some wear at the extremities. Final leaf of text with a small repaired tear, touching a few letters. With the armorial bookplate of the Marquess of Lansdowne. The Fugger family, mostly merchants and bankers, rose to great influence and acquired great wealth in the XVc and XVIc. The present work was originally printed in 1593 and contained just 71 portraits by Flemish engraver Dominicus Custos (1560 1612). It was probably printed in quite a small run, as very few copies of the first edition survive. After Custos 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, jewelry, and accessories of the highest quality. STC German C-1515; VD17 3:310169E. N° de ref. del artículo T000253

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