Page - 125 - in Jacopo Strada and Cultural Patronage at the Imperial Court - The Antique as Innovation, Volume 1

125In Hans Jakob Fugger’s Service Next to this quantity of beautiful books [in his house] will not only be seen common and badly painted portraits, as can generally be seen with other people, but instead a huge number of old Roman portraits, all man- ner of consuls, dictators and other leader of the Romans, as well as the Italian and German Kings of the Romans and the [Holy Roman] Emper- ors, in drawings, in painting, or casts.32 The emphasis on portraits in various forms corresponds to Fugger’s own his- torical and genealogical interest as well as to Strada’s research, which may well have been stimulated by Fugger, who in any case intended to reap some of its fruits. Fugger employed Strada chiefly in connection with his collection of antiquities and its appurtenances, initially particularly in the field of numis- matics. When Strada met Fugger he had already acquired some expertise in this field, owing to his study of Giulio’s medals and his travels in Italy. In the preface to the French version of his 1553 Epitome thesauri antiquitatum he even claims that he came to Germany partly ‘pour recouvrer desdites Medailles, à l’accroissement et perfection de mon livre’.33 Hans Jakob now generously pro- vided him with the means necessary to continue his studies, very likely in the form of a stipend similar to those he had given other erudites: <…> while I was in Germany, this good lord has been so good and kind to me, as to provide me liberally and wholeheartedly all that was conve- nient and necessary to me, so that it would be a perpetual shame and everlasting infamy, if I would disdain to present this my labour, for as much as it is worth, to him who is my lord and sovereign master <…>34 32 Chronica des ganszen Fuggerischen geschlechts <…>, München, bsb-hs, ms. Cgm 3188, fol. 99v, as quoted in Von Busch 1973, p. 112: ‘Neben diesen anzaal herrlichen bücher werden auch nicht Allein gemeine und schlechte Contrafattungen, wie die bei andern menschen in gemein gesehen werden, sonder nach rechter kunst und Aigenschafften, An dapfere hohe anzal altter Römischer Contrafattungen, allerley Consules, Dittatores, und hauptleudt der Römer, Wie die Italliänischenn Unnd Teuschen Romischen könig und Keiser gerissen gemalet und gegossen’. 33 Strada 1553<b>, Epitome du thrésor, p. aa 4 verso; the Latin edition (p. A 4 verso) reads: ‘tum ut augendo libro meo raros Numos adipiscerer’. 34 Strada 1553<b>, p. aa 4-v.: ‘<…> pendant que i’ay esté en Allemagne ce bon Seigneur m’ha esté tant doux et benin, qu’il m’ha baillé liberalement et de bon coeur ce qui m’estoit commode et necessaire, que ce seroit un perpetuel reproche, et infamie pour iamais, si ie desdaignois faire present de ce mien labeur, digne de soy, à lui qui est mon Seigneur et sou- verain Maistre <…’; in the Latin edition (Strada 1553<a>), p. A 4-v.: ‘Eius benignitate tan- tisper, dum in Germania vixi, quidquid expetebam, liberaliter et comiter suppeditatum