The usual understanding of the motives of the publishing enterprise of Božidar Vuković (Dionisio della Vecchia) is premised on a simplified interpretation of the forewords and afterwords to his printed editions, resulting in a...
moreThe usual understanding of the motives of the publishing enterprise of Božidar
Vuković (Dionisio della Vecchia) is premised on a simplified interpretation of the forewords and afterwords
to his printed editions, resulting in a construction that sees his endeavour mostly
in terms of patriotism and piety. Apart from unquestionable patriotism and piety
as upper-class ideals of the time, his engagement in publishing should, however, be
looked at from a much broader and more objective perspective, given that the content
of the colophons of printed books reflected an imagined ideal and that there
hardly was complete congruence between what they professed and real life. Unlike
the notes in manuscript books, which could contain the scribe’s personal confessions
and states of mind, printed books intended for the market were published in a large
number of copies and, therefore, the approach of their compilers could not be the
same. Constructing a desirable public self-image, the publisher as the conceptual author
of the colophon content usually used carefully selected information to commend
his publishing undertaking by placing it in an exclusively patriotic and pious context.
In view of the liturgical and ecclesiastical purpose of the books printed in Cyrillic
script and Serbian Slavonic language which contained such notes, it is quite understandable
why other motives, commercial above all, could not be mentioned, which
does not mean that they were not there at all. Besides, such rhetorical formulations,
based on biblical quotations as prefigurations and metaphors, were common in human
communication at the time because man’s identity was primarily grounded in
his relation to God. These notes should therefore not be viewed from the perspective
of the present, nor should today’s value system and outlook be read into them. In
the light of the spirit of the epoch, ridden with fears of an Ottoman invasion, whose
conquests of Christian lands were interpreted as being incurred by collective sin, the
content of the colophon in religious books should be viewed both in historical and
ecclesiological temporal categories. From this perspective, the printing of liturgical
and prayer books, which played a role in preserving the Christian faith and resisting
Islamisation, may be seen as an act of piety and patriotism since they, even though
Vuković made a profit from trading in them, were above all else embodiments of
God’s word and revelations of divine wisdom.
On the other hand, in contrast to medieval disdain for the merchant profession, in
Renaissance culture the image of the merchant underwent profound change. Commercial
engagement was no longer seen as being at odds with Christian ethics and,
consequently, the Renaissance merchant did not hold well-being and wealth in this
life to be irreconcilable with salvation of the soul. Hence, the fact that Vuković made a
fortune in trade did not prevent him from being a very active believer, even the head
of the Greek Orthodox religious community in Venice, seeking to atone for his sins
and to ensure eternal life by making charitable contributions and legacies.
Apart from Vuković’s two surviving wills, which specify the price of each title, commercial
aspects of his publishing activity are indicated both by the content and structure
of his editions and by their graphic design. Unlike the printing houses in the
Serbian ethnic areas, which printed only liturgical books, Vuković’s Venetian house
also printed devotional and didactic texts, such as the Collection for Travellers. Being
intended for a broader circle of believers and their personal, private piety, these editions,
printed by Vuković in 1520 and 1536, and reprinted by the subsequent publishers
of Serbian Slavonic books in Venice, can hardly be placed in a patriotic context,
but should rather be seen as a mercantile aspiration of Vuković and his successors.