The Lives of the Artists
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Author Description
Packed with facts, attributions, and entertaining anecdotes about his contemporaries, Vasari's collection of biographical accounts also presents a highly influential theory of the development of Renaissance art. Beginning with Cimabue and Giotto, who represent the infancy of art, Vasari considers the period of youthful vigour, shaped by Donatello, Brunelleschi, Ghiberti, and Masaccio, before discussing the mature period of perfection, dominated by the titanic figures of Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo. This specially commissioned translation contains thirty-six of the most important lives as well as an introduction and explanatory notes. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
Giorgio Vasari investigates the progression of Italian Renaissance art from its rudimentary beginnings to its pinnacle of perfection through the lives of its most significant practitioners. As a contemporary artist and architect, Vasari utilizes his personal observations, historical records, and anecdotal evidence to construct a narrative framework that categorizes artistic development into three distinct stages. His work serves as both a biographical record and a foundational theoretical text that establishes the canon of Western art history by emphasizing the evolution of style and technique from the late medieval period to the High Renaissance.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Biographical accounts of thirty-six pivotal artists including Cimabue, Giotto, Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo.
- A tripartite framework defining the infancy, youthful vigor, and mature perfection of Renaissance art.
- Scholarly apparatus including an expert introduction, explanatory notes, and historical context.
Scope Limits
- The text focuses primarily on Italian artists and does not provide a comprehensive survey of Northern European or global art movements of the same period.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and art historians recognize this work as the foundational text of art history, though they often note that Vasari's accounts are colored by his personal biases and regional loyalties. Readers frequently highlight the text for its vivid storytelling and its critical role in shaping the modern understanding of the Renaissance period.
Page Count:
624
Publication Date:
1998-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0191605484
ISBN-13:
9780191605482
Biography
Non-Fiction
Renaissance
Artists
Humanities
Classical
Art History
