Cicerone nello studio (1544). Un appunto sull’immagine di copertina

The image published on the cover is a woodcut, showing Cicero in his study, which is employed by the Venetian printer, Girolamo Scotto, in a series of editions, mostly of works by Cicero, but not always, from 1544 to 1565. The publisher also cut a small version of the image, used from 1554 to 1568. Contrary to most Renaissance illustrative practice, Cicero is dressed as an antique Roman, but his garb is military and inappropriate due to his civilian status. The other remarkable feature of the image is that it includes a bookshelf with eight, or nine, volumes standing upright, with the margin outwards, a new practice caused by the impact of the printed book on library collections.