The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects

by Giorgio Vasari
The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects cover
Good Books rating 4.25
Technical
  • ID: 96
  • Added: 2025-09-02
  • Updated: 2025-09-02
  • ISBN: 9780307432391
  • Publisher: Modern Library
  • Published: 2007-12-18
  • Reviews: 2

A painter and architect in his own right, 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 Vasari’s own time, the Lives opens a window on the greatest personalities of the period, including Giotto, Brunelleschi, Mantegna, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Titian. This Modern Library edition, abridged from the original text with notes drawn from earlier commentaries, as well as current research, reminds us why The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects is indispensable to any student interested in Renaissance art.

Reviews
Fantastic Anachronism · 2025-09-02
insightful 4.00

Vasari's collection of artist biographies is praised for preserving the legacies of artists and artworks, offering cultural history and insights into Renaissance art despite Vasari's own modest artistic talent.

Vasari is recognized not only for chronicling over 180 biographies of Italian Renaissance artists but also for his role in conserving their reputations and works, many of which are now lost. Though not the greatest artist himself, Vasari's successful career as a painter and architect and his passion for preservation gave his writings a lasting impact, immortalizing many artists and their creations. His narrative blends cultural history with artistic critique, making it both informative and engaging.

Quick quotes

    "His huge collection of Lives... was an amazing performance in an age that lacked organized means of research."

    "He gave a kind of immortality to many lost paintings and sculptures by describing them to us in his book."

    "Vasari was not the greatest artist in the world, but he had a knack for ingratiating himself with the rich and powerful."

Goodreads · 2025-09-02
authoritative 4.50

The work remains a cornerstone of art historical scholarship, praised for its modern critical judgment and detailed artist biographies spanning from the thirteenth century to Vasari's time.

This book is widely regarded as the most influential text on Renaissance art history, offering detailed and insightful biographies of the greatest artists of the period, including Giotto, Brunelleschi, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and others. The author, Vasari, is appreciated for blending traditional biographical style with a modern critical approach, making the work both a valuable historical document and a literary achievement. It remains indispensable for anyone studying Renaissance art, highlighting Florence and Rome's central roles in art history.

Quick quotes

    "Vasari infused these literary portraits with a decidedly modern form of critical judgment."

    "The Lives opens a window on the greatest personalities of the period, including Giotto, Brunelleschi, Mantegna, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Titian."

    "It remains to this day the cornerstone of art historical scholarship."

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