Wikimedia Commons · CC0 1.0 · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileStamboom van het Habsburgse huis, serie A
About This Work
This elaborate engraving presents the lineage of the Habsburg family as a sprawling organic tree, with portraits of emperors, archdukes, and their spouses seated or standing upon the limbs. Each figure or couple is identified by a flowing Latin banderole, and their noble status is reinforced by the inclusion of numerous heraldic shields. The central axis traces the main imperial line, notably featuring figures such as Maximilian I and Frederick III at the top and center.
Created by Aegidius Sadeler, the preeminent court engraver in Rudolfine Prague, this work reflects the era's obsession with dynastic legitimacy and the 'Imperial Idea.' The use of the tree motif echoes the 'Arbor Philosophica' of alchemy and the 'Tree of Life' in Kabbalah, suggesting a world where political hierarchies are divinely rooted and cosmically ordered.
Inscriptions(Latin)
Maximilianus I. huius nominis in Archid. Aust. domo Augustus et Imperii Rom. Imp. Aug. 1486. Maria Maximiliani I. Rom. Imp. Aug. Vxor prima. Blanca Maria Maximiliani I. Rom. Imp. Aug. Vxor altera. Fridericus VI. in familia Archid. Austriu. huius nominis IV. Rom. Imp. Aug. 1440. Eleonora Friderici IV. Rom. Imp. Aug. Vxor. Ernestus II. Ernesti Ferrei Arch. Aust. Filius. Cimburga Ernesti Ferrei Arch. Austriu. altera Vxor. Rudolphus V. Ernesti Ferrei Archid. Austriu. Filius. Albertus VI. Ernesti Ferrei Archid. Austriu. Filius mitis. Margaretha Ernesti Ferrei Arch. Aust. Filia. Catharina Ernesti Ferrei Arch. Aust. Filia. Anna Ernesti Ferrei Arch. Aust. Filia. Alexandra Ernesti Ferrei Arch. Aust. Filia.
Translation
Maximilian I of this name in the House of Archdukes of Austria, Augustus and Emperor of the Roman Empire, 1486. Mary, first wife of Maximilian I, August Roman Emperor. Bianca Maria, second wife of Maximilian I, August Roman Emperor. Frederick VI of this name in the House of Archdukes of Austria, IV as Roman Emperor, 1440. Eleonora, wife of Frederick IV, August Roman Emperor. Ernest II, son of Ernest the Iron, Archduke of Austria. Cimburgis, second wife of Ernest the Iron, Archduke of Austria. Rudolph V, son of Ernest the Iron, Archduke of Austria. Albert VI, the mild son of Ernest the Iron, Archduke of Austria. Margaret, daughter of Ernest the Iron, Archduke of Austria. Catherine, daughter of Ernest the Iron, Archduke of Austria. Anna, daughter of Ernest the Iron, Archduke of Austria. Alexandra, daughter of Ernest the Iron, Archduke of Austria.
Connected Texts
Aegidius Sadeler
Sadeler was the principal artist at the court of Rudolf II, an essential hub for early modern Western esotericism.
Symbola Divina et Humana
Sadeler engraved the emblems for this influential work, which utilizes similar heraldic and genealogical symbolism to define the virtues of the Holy Roman Emperors.
Provenance & Source
Object
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
paper
height 416 mm x width 562 mm
portrait
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 2, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.