Seite - 240 - in Jacopo Strada and Cultural Patronage at the Imperial Court - The Antique as Innovation, Band 1

Chapter 4240 In addition to costume designs, it is perfectly possible that Strada, as a court-architect, also provided designs for the ephemeral decorations providing the backdrop to such festivities. A good example of this is the design for a tri- umphal arch preserved together with the Vienna festival drawings [Fig. 4.38]: both because of its context and its technique and draughtsmanship it can be attributed to Strada or his workshop. Its resemblance to Strada’s drawing of a coin-reverse showing a triumphal arch in the Forum of Augustus demonstrates the close connection between antiquarian studies and festival designs of the period [Fig. 4.39].95 Though there is no formal document establishing Strada’s share in the preparation of the festivals at court, the circumstantial evidence summed up here is sufficient to warrant the assumption that he did regularly collaborate on these in many ways—as a source of ideas and iconographic information, perhaps as a coordinator and supervisor of the execution, and certainly also as a designer. Research into festivals at the Imperial court should take this into account, certainly as from his arrival at court in about 1559, at least until the Strada’s activities as a festival designer by Simon Pepper (in Davies/Hemsoll 2013, ii, pp. 662–663, nr. 303); similar, though not identical designs also in the Dresden albums (Ca  93, fols. 63 and 92). 95 önb-hs, Cod. min. 21,3, fol. 323/40. I have not attempted to identify the particular entry for which it was intended. The coin drawing in the Magnum ad Novum Opus, Gotha, Forsc- hungsbibliothek, ms. A 2175-4, fol. 89r. Figure 4.38 Jacopo Strada or assistant, documentary drawing of the design for a triumphal arch for a ceremonial entry; Vienna, Nationalbibliothek, Cod. min. 21, 3, fol. 40. Figure 4.39 Jacopo Strada, drawing of the reverse of a coin of Augustus, in his Magnum ac Novum Opus; Gotha, Forschungsbibliothek, ms. Chart-A 2174, vol. 4, fol. 89r.