The article is devoted to the study of the personality of Anika Fedorovich Stroganov, the entrepreneur and philanthropist, who formed the foundations of the conduct of commercial and industrial affairs, ktitor and art patronage activities of the dynasty. To understand the factors that influenced his worldview and were reflected in the art of the Late Middle Ages, the author chose the theory of identity, which determines the involvement of a person in certain areas of culture. In the course of the study, the author identified historical figures who, by their example, influenced the formation and development of Anika Fedorovich. The author make an attempt to identified those character traits that led to the success of the family not only in commercial and industrial activities, but also in the patronage of art. The material capital and spiritual baggage formed by Anika Stroganov became the foundation for the prosperity and cultural development of many subsequent generations. The article reveals preconditions of humanistic ideals, characteristic of subsequent representatives of the dynasty and who found their expression in the art they support.