Dominicus Custos

Custos was responsible for the engravings while Henning took care of the text and eulogies. (see The Spanish Hall at Schloss Ambras) Between 1600 and 1602 he published the "Atrium heroicum" in four parts. This was a collection of 171 engraved portraits of rulers, nobles, statesmen, dignitaries, celebrities, military leaders and important businessmen of the 16th century, and was the equivalent of a modern Who's Who. Custos' stepsons, Wolfgang and Lukas assisted in the work, and later his three own sons contributed. Portraits from his previous collections "Fuggerorum et Fuggerarum Imagine" (1593) and "Tirolensium principum comitum Eicon" (1599) were included. The wide geographical coverage of his work is noteworthy – many European and even some eastern countries are represented. The work, with a few exceptions, is completely dominated by male notables. The Latin inscriptions were again penned by Marcus Henning of Augsburg, since Custos had little proficiency in the language. In 1605 he published a collection of engraved portraits of scholars, Clarissimorum aliquot litteris, ingenio, fama virorum effigies (Augsburg, Christophorus Mangus, 1605). Custos also produced "Armamentarium Heroicum", a collection of 125 engravings after drawings by Giovanni Battista Fontana, and showing the arms collection of Archduke Ferdinand of Tyrol who had started an arms museum in Ambras Palace near Innsbruck. The plates are accompanied by biographical text on the original owners of the armour and written by the Archduke's secretary, Jacob Schrenck von Notzing. Custos died in Augsburg. His sons Raphael, David and Jacob Custos continued his workshop.

The recorded working language is Dutch and Latin. Places of work recorded in the authority are Augsburg and Prague. Work by Dominicus Custos is recorded in the collections of Nationalmuseum, Museum De Lakenhal, City Museum of Münster, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen and Musea Brugge.

The authorities additionally record the headings Dominique de Coster, Dominik Custos, Dominique Balten and Dominicus Custodis. His recorded languages were Dutch and Latin. He was the child of Pieter Balten. He married Maria Pfeiffelmann. 2 children are recorded: David Custos and Raphael Custos.