1540 BARBARO ON BLUE PAPER 1540 BARBARO ON BLUE PAPER | Page 5

Aldus’ relations, pushed him to answer to the most demanding applications of the
market: princes and nobles wanted special copies of Aldine editions for their private
libraries. Despite press production including copies on vellum (as confirmed by the
letters between Isabella Gonzaga and Lorenzo da Pavia in 1501) Aldus, who was
always in search of revolutionary innovations, prototyped a new print media, which,
while reducing the costs, maintained the high exclusivity of a special copy. In 1514 he
introduced the use of blue paper a phenomenon which, due to the premature death
of Aldo in 1515, was not exploited by him but was resumed by his heirs for special
dedication copies.
In 104 years of activity the Aldine press edited 18 editions on blue paper, for a total of
approximately 33 copies, of which 16 are known to have survived.