THE LIVES OF THE MOST EXCELLENT PAINTERS, SCULPTORS, AND ARCHITECTS

Giorgio Vasari (1511-74) achieved immortality for this book on the lives of his fellow Renaissance artists, first published in Florence in 1550. Although he based his work on a long tradition of biographical writing, Vasari infused these literary portraits with a decidedly modern form of critical judgment. The result is a work that remains to this day the cornerstone of art historical scholarship. Spanning the period from the thirteenth century to Vasaris own time, the Lives opens a window on the greatest personalities of the period, ...[Read more]