Page - 589 - in Jacopo Strada and Cultural Patronage at the Imperial Court - The Antique as Innovation, Volume 2

589The Musaeum: Its Contents a shallow niche—may be a relic of Strada’s project to provide the Duke’s por- trait heads with busts made in his own workshop in Vienna [Figs. 12.6–12.7].34 From the remaining correspondence it appears that in general Strada did not make purchases for the Duke until he received an explicit commission; yet these commissions were given in response to Strada’s own proposals, based on his inspection of the various collections available in Rome and Venice. So at least in his dealings with the Bavarian court Strada acted as a scout and an agent, rather than as an independent dealer or merchant. Backed by the credit of both the Duke of Bavaria and Fugger, he was able to offer very high prices: too high, according to Cardinal Otto Truchsess von Waldburg, Prince-Bishop of Augsburg. But Truchsess wrote to Duke Albrecht from Rome, so his informa- tion was at second hand and probably based on the gossip started by Stopio.35 34 Von Busch 1973, pp. 146–148. In the end the busts for the portrait heads in the Antiquar- ium were made only some years later, and in Munich, not in Vienna: cf. Weski/Frosien- Leinz 1987, Textband, pp.39–42 and Figs. 111–17. 35 Von Busch 1973, p. 297, n. 82. Figure ��.5 Jacopo Strada, drawings of (restored) antique portrait heads; Vienna, österreichsiche Nationalbibliothek, Cod. min. 21,3. Figures ��.6–��.7 A marble bust originally made to present an antique portrait head and similar in type and function to those commissioned by Strada for the Antiquarium, as reused in the Römische Ruine at Schönbrunn.