Page - 752 - in Jacopo Strada and Cultural Patronage at the Imperial Court - The Antique as Innovation, Volume 2

Chapter 14752 to limit the commission to simple sketches, which then could be engraved by Jost Amman in Nuremberg, ‘because for small images there is no one better than Jost Amen.68 Ottavio employed Amman also to carve the woodcut il- lustrations for the book of ‘mascare’ already mentioned, images of figures in costumes all’antica designed for court entertainments such as masques and tournaments.69 14.6 Financing the Programme 14.6.1 Princely Support Ottavio explicitly related the programme of books to print to the annual calen- dar of the world of the book, the Frankfurt book fair: And God willing after the present fair we should have the book of festival costumes printed, and the German version of Serlio’s book; and while these are in press I will have the Castrametatio translated into Latin, and will try to have the arms of the Popes ready. And we need to try to bring out at least a couple of books at every fair, and we must have patience for at least two fairs before we will gain something from these; after which we will have greater ease to do other things.70 This makes clear that Strada’s publishing ambitions were not a mere side-line: as well as an attempt to divulge information which Strada thought of impor- tance, it must be considered as an ambitious business enterprise. Possibly he was inspired by the example of the Lyon marchand-libraires, the Venice print- ing house of Aldus Manutius and the Antwerp printer Christophe Plantin, ex- amples which must have made him think it possible both to publish his books and to make a solid profit on them. However mistaken he may have been in 68 Doc. 1574-12-05, in Appendix A. It would be worthwhile to investigate how this project ties in with the many other illustrated Bibles produced both in France and in Germany around this time, with illustrations by, among others, Bernard Salomon and Jost Amman, who were both employed by Strada himself at various times. 69 On the book of festival designs see above, Ch. 4.3.5. 70 Doc. 1574-12-05, Appendix A: ‘Et a Dio piacendo dopo questa Fiera stampando questo li- bro delle mascare, et il libro del Serlio in dotesco. Et mentre che si stampino questi dui libri farò tradur la Castrametation in Latino, et cercarò di far le arme delli Papi. Et bisog- nara cercar de meter al manco hogni Fiera un par di libri in luce. Bisogna che noi habiamo pacientia per due Fiere avanti che si caverà qualche cosa; dopo se haverà meglior com- modità di far altre cose’.