Portrait of Jacques della Faille aka Jacques the Old, Master of Dovie, Bucquerie and Westbroeck estates

Jacques della Faille, together with his oldest brother and associate Jan della Faille the Elder, was at the root of the family capital resulting from the foundation of an important European trading house in the city of Antwerp. The two brothers didn't wait long before offering pre-banking financial services. They belonged to the first generation who were allowed to carry a shield in the name of the emperor. This privilege was bestowed on Jan the Elder in 1562, seven years after the date of this portrait of his brother and sister-in-law. This type of noble patent was one of the conditions for accessing a noble title, alongside the requirements of holding an estate (in this case Jan had three: Dovie, Bucquerie and Westbroeck), and earning ones financial resources by the means of a non-manual job. This phenomenon of organised passage from the wealthy middle classes to the nobility is called gentrification. The artist's hesitant interpretation of this type of portrait is typical of this transition phase. Here, the coats of arms are affixed with the necessary pride. But the noble privilege of carrying a sword is barely shown by the top of the handle on the right by his hip. (Joost Vander Auwera, in 'Art and Finance in Europe')