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Dans les Pays-Bas du milieu du XVIIe siècle, les frères Pierre-Albert et Jean de Launay mènent une brillante carrière de faussaires héraldico-généalogiques. Premiers bénéficiaires de leurs forgeries, ils s’inventent des seigneuries, des offices, des ancêtres et des armoiries qui accréditent leur position sociale et l’autorité des certificats et généalogie qu’ils vendent à leurs clients en quête de reconnaissance. La mise en série de ces faux permet de comprendre les stratégies de l’invention et de son déploiement sur des supports multiples, où l’héraldique joue toujours un rôle central.

The Launay Brothers, Pierre-Albert and Jean, prolific seventeenth century genealogists settled in Spanish Netherlands, initially operated to satisfy their taste for glory. They invented for themselves their own genealogical tree and prestigious noble titles. Their activity was also lucrative, and satisfied a variety of clientele in lack of noble ancestors. Seventeenth century society was structured around noble lineage and the attainment of verifiable documentation was a constant preoccupation. They even went as far as compiling and producing a vast amount of documentation as well as falsifying official documents, certificates, patents, genealogies… Their careers were interrupted by judicial complications, temporary for Pierre, the eldest († 1694) and tragically for Jean, the youngest (executed in 1687). Public libraries conserved some “Launay documents” in complete series, on multiple support, where heraldry is always a key factor (Paris, Arras, Lille, Brussels…). Private collections also contain convincing forgeries that continue to be problematic to this day.