A detailed genealogical engraving by Dominicus Custos, mapping the lineage of the Counts and Dukes of Luxembourg from 1050 to 1476.

This engraving by Dominicus Custos depicts the genealogical lineage of the Counts and Dukes of Luxembourg from 1050 to 1476. The composition adopts the traditional form of an arbor genealogica, or family tree, where the ancestral roots emerge from a fortified cityscape at the base of the print. The trunk and branches extend upwards, supporting rectangular cartouches that contain the names and historical details of the various noble figures within the dynasty.

Custos, a Flemish engraver who spent much of his career in Augsburg, demonstrates a high level of technical precision in this work. The lines are fine and controlled, allowing for the inclusion of dense textual information alongside decorative elements. At the base, the city of Luxembourg is rendered with architectural clarity, providing a sense of place for the origins of the lineage. The upper portion of the print is framed by ornamental flourishes, including military motifs and heraldic symbols, which serve to organise the complex web of familial connections.

As a piece of historical documentation, the print reflects the interest in dynastic history and heraldry common in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. The systematic layout allows the viewer to trace the succession of titles and marriages across several centuries. The use of the tree metaphor is a standard convention of the period, visualising the growth and branching of a noble house. The work is a clear example of the intersection between cartography, genealogy, and printmaking, where the primary objective is the orderly presentation of information. The monochromatic palette and the focus on line work are characteristic of the period's print culture, where clarity of information was paramount for the scholarly and aristocratic audiences who collected such genealogical records.