Workshop of Jörg Breu the Younger: Geheimes Ehrenbuch der Fugger, Jakob Fugger & Sibylla Artzt (1545-1549)

(Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich, Germany)

An illuminated page made in the workshop of the German artist Jörg Breu the Younger (1510-1547). this page is part of a book called "Geheimes Ehrenbuch der Fugger" which depicts the genealogy of the Fugger family with a total of 126 painted portraits. The Fugger family was a very prominent group of European bankers from Germany. This page shows the most well-known family member of the Fugger family: Jacob II Fugger 'the rich' of the Lily (1459 – 1525) and his wife Sibylla Artzt (1480-1546). Jacob II Fugger was at the time the de facto head of the Fugger business operations. He became the most important banker of holy roman emperor Maximilian I. Fugger is considered to be one of the wealthiest people ever to have lived, his net worth is estimated to be $400-500 billion. Jacob married in 1498 the 18-year-old Sibylla Artzt who was the daughter of an eminent Augsburg Grand Burgher. He also made various contributions to various churches, founded the Fuggerei in Augsburg, the world's oldest social housing complex still in use. Page from 1545-1549.