''The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects'' ( it, Le vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori, e architettori), often simply known as ''The Lives'' ( it, Le Vite), is a series of artist biographies written by 16th-century Italian painter and architect Giorgio Vasari, which is considered "perhaps the most famous, and even today the most-read work of the older literature of art",Max Marmor, ''Kunstliteratur''
translated by Ernst Gombrich, in Art Documentation Vol 11 # 1, 1992 "some of the Italian Renaissance's most influential writing on art", and "the first important book on art history". Murray, P. and L. Murray. (1963) ''The art of the renaissance''. London:

Thames & Hudson Thames & Hudson (sometimes T&H for brevity) is a publisher of illustrated books in all visually creative categories: art, architecture, design, photography, fashion, film, and the performing arts. It also publishes books on archaeology, history, ...

(World of Art), p. 8. Vasari published the work in two editions with substantial differences between them; the first edition, two volumes, in 1550 and the second, three volumes, in 1568 (which is the one usually translated and referred to). One important change was the increased attention paid to Venetian art in the second edition, even though Vasari still was, and has ever since been, criticised for an excessive emphasis on the art of his native Florence.

Background

The writer Paolo Giovio expressed his desire to compose a treatise on contemporary artists at a party in the house of Cardinal Farnese, who asked Vasari to provide Giovio with as much relevant information as possible. Giovio instead yielded the project to Vasari. As the first Italian art historian, Vasari initiated the genre of an encyclopedia of artistic biographies that continues today. Vasari's work was first published in 1550 by

Lorenzo Torrentino Lawrence Torrentinus, also known as Lorenzo Torrentino, Laurentius Torrentinus, Laurens van den Bleeck (1499–1563) was a Dutch-Italian Humanism, humanist and famous typographer and Printer (publisher), printer for Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke ...

in Florence, and dedicated to

Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo I de' Medici (12 June 1519 – 21 April 1574) was the second Duke of Florence from 1537 until 1569, when he became the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, a title he held until his death. Life Rise to power Cosimo was born in Florence on 12 ...

. It included a valuable treatise on the technical methods employed in the arts. It was partly rewritten and enlarged in 1568 and provided with woodcut portraits of artists (some conjectural). The work has a consistent and notorious favour of Florentines and tends to attribute to them all the new developments in Renaissance art – for example, the invention of engraving. Venetian art in particular, let alone other parts of Europe, is systematically ignored. Between his first and second editions, Vasari visited Venice and the second edition gave more attention to Venetian art (finally including Titian) without achieving a neutral point of view.

John Symonds John Symonds (12 March 1914, Battersea, London – 21 October 2006) was an English novelist, biographer, playwright and writer of children's books. Biography Early life He was the son of Robert Wemyss Symonds and Lily Sapzells. At the ag ...

claimed in 1899 that, "It is clear that Vasari often wrote with carelessness, confusing dates and places, and taking no pains to verify the truth of his assertions" (in regards to Vasari's life of Nicola Pisano), while acknowledging that, despite these shortcomings, it is one of the basic sources for information on the Renaissance in Italy. Vasari's biographies are interspersed with amusing gossip. Many of his anecdotes have the ring of truth, although likely inventions. Others are generic fictions, such as the tale of young Giotto painting a fly on the surface of a painting by Cimabue that the older master repeatedly tried to brush away, a genre tale that echoes anecdotes told of the Greek painter

Apelles Apelles of Kos (; grc-gre, Ἀπελλῆς; fl. 4th century BC) was a renowned painter of ancient Greece. Pliny the Elder, to whom much of modern scholars' knowledge of this artist is owed (''Naturalis Historia'' 35.36.79–97 and ''passim'' ...

. He did not research archives for exact dates, as modern art historians do, and naturally his biographies are most dependable for the painters of his own generation and the immediately preceding one. Modern criticism—with all the new materials opened up by research—has corrected many of his traditional dates and attributions. The work is widely considered a classic even today, though it is widely agreed that it must be supplemented by modern scientific research. Vasari includes a forty-two-page sketch of his own biography at the end of his ''Vite'', and adds further details about himself and his family in his lives of Lazzaro Vasari and Francesco de' Rossi.

Influence

Vasari's ''Vite'' has been described as "by far the most influential single text for the history of Renaissance art" and "the most important work of Renaissance biography of artists". Its influence is situated mainly in three domains: as an example for contemporary and later biographers and art historians, as a defining factor in the view on the Renaissance and the role of Florence and Rome in it, and as a major source of information on the lives and works of early Renaissance artists from Italy. The ''Vite'' has been

translated Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transla ...

wholly or partially into many languages, including Dutch, English,

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

, Russian and Spanish.

Early translations became a model for others

The ''Vite'' formed a model for encyclopedias of artist biographies. Different 17th century translators became artist biographers in their own country of origin and were often called the ''Vasari'' of their country. Karel Van Mander was probably the first Vasarian author with his ''Painting book'' (''Het Schilderboeck'', 1604), which encompassed not only the first Dutch translation of Vasari, but also the first Dutch translation of Ovid and was accompanied by a list of Italian painters who appeared on the scene after Vasari, and the first comprehensive list of biographies of painters from the Low Countries. Similarly, Joachim von Sandrart, author of ''Deutsche Akademie'' (1675), became known as the "German Vasari" and Antonio Palomino, author of '' An account of the lives and works of the most eminent Spanish painters, sculptors and architects'' (1724), became the "Spanish Vasari". In England,

Aglionby Aglionby may be the surname of: * Edward Aglionby (died c. 1591) (1520–c. 1591), MP for Carlisle, and for Warwick, and poet * Edward Aglionby (died 1553), MP for Carlisle * Edward Aglionby (died 1599), MP for Carlisle * Hugh Aglionby, MP *John Ag ...

's ''Painting Illustrated'' from 1685 was largely based on Vasari as well. In Florence the biographies of artists were revised and implemented in the late 17th century by

Filippo Baldinucci Filippo Baldinucci (3 June 1625 – 10 January 1696) was an Italian art historian and biographer. Life Baldinucci is considered among the most significant Florentine biographers/historians of the artists and the arts of the Baroque period ...

View of the Renaissance

The ''Vite'' is also important as the basis for discussions about the development of style. It influenced the view art historians had of the Early Renaissance for a long time, placing too much emphasis on the achievements of Florentine and Roman artists while ignoring those of the rest of Italy and certainly the artists from the rest of Europe.

Source of information

For centuries, it has been the most important source of information on Early Renaissance Italian (and especially Tuscan) painters and the attribution of their paintings. In 1899,

John Addington Symonds John Addington Symonds, Jr. (; 5 October 1840 – 19 April 1893) was an English poet and literary critic. A cultural historian, he was known for his work on the Renaissance, as well as numerous biographies of writers and artists. Although m ...

used the ''Vite'' as one of his basic sources for the description of artists in his seven books on the ''Renaissance in Italy'', and nowadays it is still, despite its obvious biases and shortcomings, the basis for the biographies of many artists like Leonardo da Vinci.

Contents of the 1568 edition

The ''Vite'' contains the biographies of many important Italian artists, and is also adopted as a sort of classical reference guide for their names, which are sometimes used in different ways. What follows is the complete list of artists appearing the second (1568) edition. In a few cases, different very short biographies were given in one section.

Volumes and parts

The 1568 edition was published in three volumes. Vasari divided the biographies into three parts. Parts I and II are contained in the first volume. Part III is presented in the two other volumes. Vite.jpg, Vol. 1 (= parts I and II) Vasari - Le vite de’ piu eccellenti pittori, scultori, et architettori, 1-2, 1568.djvu, page=1, Vol. 1 (= parts I and II),
title page variant Vasari - Le vite de’ piu eccellenti pittori, scultori, et architettori, 3-1, 1568.djvu, page=5, Vol. 2 (first volume of part III) Vasari - Le vite de’ piu eccellenti pittori, scultori, et architettori (1568).pdf, page=5, Vol. 3 (second volume of part III)

Volume 1

The first volume starts with a dedication to

Cosimo I de' Medici Cosimo I de' Medici (12 June 1519 – 21 April 1574) was the second Duke of Florence from 1537 until 1569, when he became the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, a title he held until his death. Life Rise to power Cosimo was born in Florence on 12 ...

and a preface, and then provides technical and background texts about architecture, sculpture, and painting.Vasari, Giorgio. (1907)
Vasari on technique: being the introduction to the three arts of design, architecture, sculpture and painting, prefixed to the Lives of the most excellent painters, sculptors and architects
'. G. Baldwin Brown Ed. Louisa S. Maclehose Trans. London: Dent. A second preface follows, introducing the actual "Vite". Biographies, first part * Cimabue *

Arnolfo di Lapo Arnolfo di Cambio (c. 1240 – 1300/1310) was an Italian architect and sculptor. He designed Florence Cathedral and the sixth city wall around Florence (1284–1333), while his most important surviving work as a sculptor is the tomb of Cardin ...

, with Bonanno * Nicola and Giovanni Pisano * Andrea Tafi *

Gaddo Gaddi Gaddo Gaddi (c. 1239, Florence – c. 1312, Florence) was a painter and mosaicist of Florence in a Gothic art style. Almost no works survive. He was the father of Taddeo Gaddi. He completed mosaics on the facade of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rom ...

* Margaritone * Giotto, with Puccio Capanna * Agostino and Agnolo * Stefano and

Ugolino Ugolino is an Italian masculine given name that is a diminutive form of Ugo. It may also refer to: Artists and musicians * Ugolino di Nerio (1280?–1349), Italian painter active in Siena and Florence * Ugolino di Tedice (died after 1277), Italian ...

* Pietro Lorenzetti (Pietro Laurati) *

Andrea Pisano Andrea Pisano (Pontedera 12901348 Orvieto) also known as Andrea da Pontedera, was an Italian sculptor and architect. Biography Pisano first learned the trade of a goldsmith. Pisano then became a pupil of Mino di Giovanni, about 1300, and work ...

* Buonamico Buffalmacco * Ambrogio Lorenzetti (Ambruogio Laurati) * Pietro Cavallini * Simone Martini with Lippo Memmi * Taddeo Gaddi *

Andrea Orcagna Andrea di Cione di Arcangelo (c. 1308 – 25 August 1368), better known as Orcagna, was an Italian painter, sculptor, and architect active in Florence. He worked as a consultant at the Florence Cathedral and supervised the construction of the fa ...

(Andrea di Cione) * Tommaso Fiorentino (Giottino) *

Giovanni da Ponte Giovanni dal Ponte (1385 – c. 1438 in Florence) was a Florentine minor master painter of the late-Gothic period, known as one of the greatest minor masters contemporary to Masaccio. He is known by Giorgio Vasari as dal Ponte, a name derived fro ...

Agnolo Gaddi Agnolo Gaddi (c.1350–1396) was an Italian painter. He was born and died in Florence, and was the son of the painter Taddeo Gaddi,who was himself the major pupil of the Florentine master Giotto. Agnolo was a painter and mosaicist, trained ...

with Cennino Cennini * Berna Sanese (Barna da Siena) * Duccio * Antonio Viniziano (Antonio Veneziano) *

Jacopo di Casentino Jacopo del Casentino (c. 1297 – 1358) was an Italian painter, active mainly in Tuscany in the first half of the 14th century. Life Very little is known about this artist other than that he likely came from Casentino. Giorgio Vasari incor ...

Spinello Aretino Spinello Aretino (c. 1350 – c. 1410) was an Italian painter from Arezzo, who was active in Tuscany at the end of the 14th and the first decennium of the 15th century.Gherardo Starnina Gherardo Starnina (c. 1360–1413) was an Italian painter from Florence in the Quattrocento era. According to the biographer Giorgio Vasari, Starnina initially trained with Antonio Veneziano, then with Agnolo Gaddi. He is claimed to have part ...

Lippo Lippo Group is an Indonesian multinational conglomerate company. The company operates internationally providing property development and management services. It was founded by Mochtar Riady. Lippo has a collective presence across Asia and Nor ...

Lorenzo Monaco Lorenzo Monaco (1370 – 1425) was an Italian painter of the late Gothic to early Renaissance age. He was born Piero di Giovanni in Siena, Italy. Little is known about his youth, apart from the fact that he was apprenticed in Florence. He was inf ...

* Taddeo Bartoli * Lorenzo di Bicci with Bicci di Lorenzo and Neri di Bicci Biographies, second part * Jacopo della Quercia * Niccolo Aretino (Niccolò di Piero Lamberti) *

Dello Dello may refer to: People * Dello di Niccolò Delli (ca. 1403 – ca. 1470), an Italian artist * Pete Dello (born 1942), English singer-songwriter Places * Dello, Lombardy Dello (Brescian: ) is a ''comune'' in the province of Brescia The Pr ...

(Dello di Niccolò Delli) * Nanni di Banco * Luca della Robbia with

Andrea Andrea is a given name which is common worldwide for both males and females, cognate to Andreas, Andrej and Andrew. Origin of the name The name derives from the Greek word ἀνήρ (''anēr''), genitive ἀνδρός (''andrós''), that ref ...

and Girolamo della Robbia * Paolo Uccello * Lorenzo Ghiberti with

Niccolò di Piero Lamberti Niccolò di Piero Lamberti (ca. 1370 – 1451), also known as Niccolò di Pietro Lamberti, Niccolo Aretino, Niccolò d'Arezzo and as il Pela, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor and architect. Little is known about his life other than that ...

* Masolino da Panicale *

Parri Spinelli Parri Spinelli ( – 1453) was an Italian ( Tuscan) painter of the early renaissance who was born in the Province of Arezzo. His father and teacher was Spinello Aretino (1350–1410), who was active throughout Tuscany. Parri Spinelli lived i ...

Masaccio Masaccio (, , ; December 21, 1401 – summer 1428), born Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Simone, was a Florentine artist who is regarded as the first great Italian painter of the Quattrocento period of the Italian Renaissance. According to Vasari, ...

Filippo Brunelleschi Filippo Brunelleschi ( , , also known as Pippo; 1377 – 15 April 1446), considered to be a founding father of Renaissance architecture, was an Italian architect, designer, and sculptor, and is now recognized to be the first modern engineer, p ...

* Donatello *

Michelozzo Michelozzi Michelozzo di Bartolomeo Michelozzi (1396 – 7 October 1472) was an Italian architect and sculptor. Considered one of the great pioneers of architecture during the Renaissance, Michelozzo was a favored Medici architect who was extensively empl ...

with Pagno di Lapo Portigiani *

Antonio Filarete Antonio di Pietro Aver(u)lino (; – ), known as Filarete (; from grc, φιλάρετος, meaning "lover of excellence"), was a Florentine Renaissance architect, sculpture, sculptor, medallist, and architectural theorist. He is perhaps best reme ...

and Simone (Simone Ghini) * Giuliano da Maiano * Piero della Francesca * Fra Angelico with

Domenico di Michelino Domenico di Michelino (1417–1491) was an Italian Renaissance painter who was born and died in Florence. His real name was Domenico di Francesco. The patronymic "di Michelino" was adopted in honor of his teacher, the cassone painter Michelino di ...

and Attavante * Leon Battista Alberti *

Lazaro Vasari Lazzaro Vasari (1399–1468), also known as Lazzaro Taldi and as Lazzaro di Niccolò de' Taldi, was an Italian painter who was born in the Province of Arezzo. His father was a potter, as was Lazzaro Vasari’s son, Giorgio Vasari I. The painter ...

* Antonello da Messina * Alesso Baldovinetti *

Vellano da Padova Bartolomeo Bellano, also known as Bartolomeo Vellano, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor and architect who was born in Padua in 1437 or 1438. He was the son of a goldsmith and became a student of the sculptor Donatello, with whom he worked o ...

(Bartolomeo Bellano) * Fra Filippo Lippi with

Fra Diamante Fra Diamante (c. 1430 – c. 1498) was an Italian Renaissance painter. Biography Born at Prato, he was a Carmelite friar, a member of the Florentine community of that order, and was the friend and assistant of Filippo Lippi. The Carmelit ...

and

Jacopo del Sellaio Jacopo del Sellaio (1441/42–1493), was an Italian painter of the early Renaissance, active in his native Florence. His real name was Jacopo di Arcangelo. He worked in an eclectic style based on those of Botticelli, Filippino Lippi, and Domenic ...

Paolo Romano Paolo Romano, also known as Paolo Tuccone and as Paolo di Mariano di Tuccio Taccone was an Italian Renaissance sculptor and goldsmith. He was active by 1451, and probably died by 1470.Getty ULAN Giorgio Vasari in his '' Lives of the Most Exc ...

Mino del Reame Mino del Reame, also known as Mino dal Reame, was a 15th-century Neapolitan Italian Renaissance sculptor from Naples. History He was active in Rome from about 1460 to 1480. Giorgio Vasari in his '' Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors ...

, Chimenti Camicia, and Baccio Pontelli * Andrea del Castagno and

Domenico Veneziano Domenico Veneziano (c. 1410 – May 15, 1461) was an Italian painter of the early Renaissance, active mostly in Perugia and Tuscany. Little is known of his birth, though he is thought to have been born in Venice, hence his last name. He then moved ...

* Gentile da Fabriano * Vittore Pisanello * Pesello and

Francesco Pesellino Francesco Pesellino (probably 1422–July 29, 1457), also known as Francesco di Stefano, was an Italian Renaissance painter active in Florence. His father was the painter Stefano di Francesco (died 1427), and his maternal grandfather was the pai ...

* Benozzo Gozzoli with Melozzo da Forlì * Francesco di Giorgio and Vecchietta (Lorenzo di Pietro) * Galasso Ferrarese with

Cosmè Tura Cosmê Tura (c. 1430 – 1495), also known as Il Cosmè or Cosimo Tura (), was an Italian early-Renaissance (or Quattrocento) painter and considered one of the founders of the School of Ferrara (Painting), School of Ferrara. Biography Formati ...

Antonio Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language-speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular male ...

and

Bernardo Rossellino Bernardo di Matteo del Borra Gamberelli (1409 Settignano – 1464 Florence), better known as Bernardo Rossellino, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor and architect, the elder brother of the sculptor Antonio Rossellino. As a member of the second ...

* Desiderio da Settignano *

Mino da Fiesole Mino da Fiesole (c. 1429 – July 11, 1484), also known as Mino di Giovanni, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Poppi, Tuscany. He is noted for his portrait busts. Career Mino's work was influenced by his master Desiderio da Settignano and ...

* Lorenzo Costa with

Ludovico Mazzolino Ludovico Mazzolino (1480 – c. 1528) - also known as Mazzolini da Ferrara, Lodovico Ferraresa, and Il Ferrarese - was an Italian Renaissance painter active in Ferrara and Bologna. Biography He was born and died in Ferrara. He appears to have ...

Ercole Ferrarese Ercole de' Roberti (c. 1451 – 1496), also known as Ercole Ferrarese or Ercole da Ferrara, was an Italian artist of the Early Renaissance and the School of Ferrara. He was profiled in Vasari's ''Le Vite delle più eccellenti pittori, scult ...

Jacopo Jacopo (also Iacopo) is a masculine Italian given name, derivant from Latin ''Iacōbus''. It is an Italian variant of Giacomo. * Jacopo Aconcio (), Italian religious reformer * Jacopo Bassano (1592), Italian painter * Iacopo Barsotti (1921–1987 ...

Giovanni Giovanni may refer to: * Giovanni (name), an Italian male given name and surname * Giovanni (meteorology), a Web interface for users to analyze NASA's gridded data * ''Don Giovanni'', a 1787 opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, based on the legend of ...

and Gentile Bellini with Niccolò Rondinelli and

Benedetto Coda Benedetto Coda (c. 1460 - 1535) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance active in Rimini. He is mainly known for his religious subjects. Born in Treviso, Vasari claimed that Coda trained with Giovanni Bellini. He stayed for a brief period in F ...

* Cosimo Rosselli * Il Cecca (Francesco d'Angelo) * Don Bartolomeo Abbate di S. Clemente (Bartolomeo della Gatta) with

Matteo Lappoli Matteo Lappoli (1450–1504) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period. He was born at Arezzo. He studied under Fra Bartolommeo. The greater part of his paintings have perished. There are still at Arezzo, in the refectory of the Bernardine ...

Gherardo di Giovanni del Fora Gherardo di Giovanni di Miniato del Fora (1445–1497), was an Italian painter and illuminator. Biography He was born in Florence as the son of the sculptor Giovanni di Miniato del Fora.Domenico Ghirlandaio Domenico di Tommaso Curradi di Doffo Bigordi (, , ; 2 June 1448 – 11 January 1494), professionally known as Domenico Ghirlandaio, also spelled as Ghirlandajo, was an Italian Renaissance painter born in Florence. Ghirlandaio was part of ...

with

Benedetto Benedetto is a common Italian name, the equivalent of the English name Benedict. Notable people named Benedetto include: People with the given name * Benedetto Accolti (disambiguation), several people * Benedetto Aloi (1935–2011), American mob ...

David Ghirlandaio Davide Ghirlandaio (1452–1525), also known as David Ghirlandaio and as Davide Bigordi, was an Italian painter and mosaicist, active in his native Florence. His brothers Benedetto Ghirlandaio (1458–1497) and Domenico Ghirlandaio (1449–1494 ...

and

Bastiano Mainardi Bastiano di Bartolo Mainardi (1466 – 1513) was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. He was born in San Gimignano and was active there and in Florence. According to Giorgio Vasari, Mainardi is portrayed in the frescoes in the Sasset ...

* Antonio del Pollaiuolo and Piero del Pollaiuolo with

Maso Finiguerra Maso Tommasoii Finiguerra (1426–1464) was an Italian goldsmith, niellist, draftsman, and engraver working in Florence, who was incorrectly described by Giorgio Vasari as the inventor of engraving as a printmaking technique. This made him a c ...

* Sandro Botticelli * Benedetto da Maiano * Andrea del Verrocchio with

and Santi Buglioni * Andrea Mantegna * Filippino Lippi *

Bernardino Pinturicchio Pinturicchio, or Pintoricchio (, ; born Bernardino di Betto; 1454–1513), also known as Benetto di Biagio or Sordicchio, was an Italian painter during the Renaissance. He acquired his nickname (meaning "little painter") because of his smal ...

with

Niccolò Alunno Niccolò di Liberatore, known as L'Alunno (also Niccolò di Liberatore and Niccolò da Foligno; the name is sometimes spelled Nicolò) (1430–1502) was an Italian painter of the Umbrian school. Life and career He was born at Foligno, the son o ...

and

Gerino da Pistoia Gerino da Pistoia, also Gerino di Antonio Gerini, (1480–1529) was an Italian painter and designer of the Renaissance. Biography Not much is known about Gerino except through his works and a few lines by Giorgio Vasari. Gerino was a pupil of Pi ...

* Francesco Francia with

Caradosso Cristoforo (known as Caradosso) Foppa (1445 – c. 1527) was an Italian goldsmith, sculptor, and die sinker. According to some sources he was born at Mondonico]/Olgiate Molgora in the Province of Lecco, and according to others in Pavia. It i ...

* Perugino, Pietro Perugino with Rocco Zoppo,

Francesco Bacchiacca Francesco d'Ubertino Verdi, called Bachiacca (say “bah ki ah ka”). He is also known as Francesco Ubertini, il Bacchiacca (1494–1557). He was an Italian painter of the Renaissance whose work is characteristic of the Florentine Mannerist sty ...

Eusebio da San Giorgio Eusebio da San Giorgio or ''Eusebio di Jacopo di Cristoforo da San Giorgio'' (c. 1470 – c. 1550) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period. Biography Born in Perugia, he was a pupil of the painter Pietro Perugino. In 1494, he was ele ...

and Andrea Aloigi (l'Ingegno) * Vittore Scarpaccia with

Stefano da Verona Stefano da Verona (or da Zevio; 1379 – c. 1438) was an Italian painter who was active in Verona. He was the son of the French painter Jean d'Arbois, who had come to Italy at the court for Gian Galeazzo Visconti after working for Philip II ...

Jacopo Avanzi Jacopo d'Avanzi (after 1350s – 1416) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period. He is also known as ''Jacopo Avanzi'' or ''Jacopo de Avanzi'', although apparently often confused with other artists, including ''Jacopo de' Bavozi'' and the ...

, Altichiero,

Jacobello del Fiore Jacobello del Fiore (c. 1370 – 1439) was a Venetian painter in the late fourteenth century and early fifteenth century. His early work is in the Late Gothic style popularized by Altichiero da Verona and Jacopo Avanzi, two of his contemporar ...

, Guariento di Arpo,

Giusto de' Menabuoi ''Cappella del beato Luca Belludi'' Sant'Antonio (Padua) Giusto de' Menabuoi (c. 1320–1391) was an Italian painter of the early Renaissance. He was born in Florence. Probably, but not confirmed as, a pupil of Giotto, de' Menabuoi was notable f ...

Vincenzo Foppa Vincenzo Foppa ( – ) was an Italian painter from the Renaissance period. While few of his works survive, he was an esteemed and influential painter during his time and is considered the preeminent leader of the Early Lombard School. He spent hi ...

, Vincenzo Catena, Cima da Conegliano,

Marco Basaiti Marco Basaiti (c. 1470–1530) was a Renaissance painter who worked mainly in Venice and was a contemporary of Giovanni Bellini and Cima da Conegliano.

Bartolomeo Vivarini Bartolomeo or Bartolommeo Vivarini (c. 1432c. 1499) was an Italian Renaissance painter, known to have worked from 1450 to 1499. Biography Bartolomeo's brother Antonio Vivarini, and his nephew (also possibly his pupil) Alvise Vivarini, were als ...

Giovanni di Niccolò Mansueti Giovanni di Niccolò Mansueti (also known as Giovanni Mansueti; c. 1465 – March 26, 1527) was an Italian painter. Little is known of his biography. He was active in Venice from 1485 to 1526. A pupil of Gentile Bellini, he worked in the anti ...

Vittore Belliniano Vittore Belliniano was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period considered to be identical with Bellini Bellini and Vittore di Matteo. He was a native of Venice, active c. year 1525. He painted historical subjects, and several of his pictures ...

Bartolomeo Montagna Bartolomeo (or Bartolommeo) Montagna (, , ; 1450?– 11 October 1523) was an Italian Renaissance painter who mainly worked in Vicenza. He also produced works in Venice, Verona, and Padua. He is most famous for his many Madonnas and his works are ...

Benedetto Rusconi Benedetto Rusconi, nicknamed the Diana, (ca. 1460 – 1525)
National Gallery of Art. Retrieved April 17, 2018. was an Ital ...

, Giovanni Buonconsiglio,

Simone Bianco Simone di Niccolò Bianco (1480s – after 1553), was an Italian Renaissance sculptor. Born in Loro Ciuffenna, Tuscany, he spent his artistic career in Venice from 1512 onwards. He was known for sculpture of bust (sculpture), busts in marble and ...

Tullio Lombardo Tullio Lombardo (c. 1455 – November 17, 1532), also known as Tullio Solari, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor. He was the brother of Antonio Lombardo and son of Pietro Lombardo. The Lombardo family worked together to sculpt famous Catholic ...

Vincenzo Civerchio Vincenzo Civerchio or Civercio (c. 1470c. 1544) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance, born at Crema, Lombardy, Crema, and active also in Brescia, where there are some of his alter-pieces. One of his works is at the National Gallery of Art, W ...

, Girolamo Romani, Alessandro Bonvicino (il Moretto),

Francesco Bonsignori Francesco Bonsignori (c. 1455 – July 2, 1519), also known as Francesco Monsignori, was an Italian painter and draughtsman, characterized by his excellence in religious subjects, portraits, architectural perspective and animals. He was born in V ...

Giovanni Francesco Caroto Giovanni Francesco Caroto (1480 – 1555 or 1558) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance active mainly in his native city of Verona. He initially apprenticed under Liberale da Verona (1445–1526/1529), a conservative painter infused with the ...

and Francesco Torbido (il Moro) * Iacopo detto l'Indaco (Jacopo Torni) * Luca Signorelli with Tommaso Bernabei (il Papacello)

Volume 2

Biographies, third part * Leonardo da Vinci *

Giorgione da Castelfranco Giorgione (, , ; born Giorgio Barbarelli da Castelfranco; 1477–78 or 1473–74 – 17 September 1510) was an Italian painter of the Venetian school during the High Renaissance, who died in his thirties. He is known for the elusive poetic qualit ...

Antonio da Correggio Antonio Allegri da Correggio (August 1489 – 5 March 1534), usually known as just Correggio (, also , , ), was the foremost painter of the Parma school of the High Italian Renaissance, who was responsible for some of the most vigorous and sens ...

* Piero di Cosimo * Donato Bramante (Bramante da Urbino) *

Fra Bartolomeo Fra Bartolomeo or Bartolommeo (, , ; 28 March 1472 – 31 October 1517), also known as Bartolommeo di Pagholo, Bartolommeo di S. Marco, and his original nickname Baccio della Porta, was an Italian Renaissance painter of religious subjects. ...

Di San Marco * Mariotto Albertinelli *

Raffaellino del Garbo Raffaellino del Garbo (1466 – 1527) was a Florentine painter of the early Renaissance. Biography His real name was Raffaello di Bartolomeo dei Carli. He was also known as Raffaello Capponi after his adoptive family. The appellation "del Garb ...

Pietro Torrigiano Pietro Torrigiano (24 November 1472 – July/August 1528) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Florence, who had to flee the city after breaking Michelangelo's nose. He then worked abroad, and died in prison in Spain. He was important in ...

(''Torrigiano'') * Giuliano da Sangallo * Antonio da Sangallo * Raphael *

Guillaume de Marcillat Guillaume de Marcillat (ca. 1470–1529) was a French painter and stained glass artist. Biography He was born in La Châtre, Indre about 1470. He was in Rome by 1509, where he was employed by the popes Julius II and Leo X in the Vatican and ...

Simone del Pollaiolo Simone del Pollaiolo (1457–1508) was a Florentine architect who was commonly known as Il Cronaca ("The Chronicle One"). Pollaiolo was born in Florence, the nephew of the better-known brothers Antonio and Piero Benci who had the nickname '' ...

(''il Cronaca'') * Davide Ghirlandaio and

Benedetto Ghirlandaio Benedetto Ghirlandaio (1458–1497) was an Italian (Florentine) painter. His brothers Davide Ghirlandaio (1452–1525) and Domenico Ghirlandaio (1449–1494) were both painters, as was his nephew Ridolfo Ghirlandaio (1483–1561). From 1486 unt ...

Domenico Puligo Domenico Puligo (1492–1527) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance, active in Florence. His real name was ''Domenico di Bartolomeo Ubaldini''. He trained under Ridolfo Ghirlandaio and acted as an assistant to Andrea del Sarto, whom he also ...

* Andrea da Fiesole * Vincenzo da San Gimignano and Timoteo da Urbino * Andrea Sansovino (''Andrea dal Monte Sansovino'') *

Benedetto da Rovezzano Benedetto Grazzini, best known as Benedetto da Rovezzano (1474 – c. 1552) was an Italians, Italian architect and sculptor who worked mainly in Florence. He was born in Pistoia in 1474, and adopted the name Rovezzano from the quarter of F ...

Baccio da Montelupo Baccio da Montelupo (1469–1523(?)), born Bartolomeo di Giovanni d'Astore dei Sinibaldi, was a sculptor of the Italian Renaissance. He is the father of another Italian sculptor, Raffaello da Montelupo. Both father and son are profiled in ...

and Raffaello da Montelupo (father and son) * Lorenzo di Credi * Boccaccio Boccaccino (''Boccaccino Cremonese'') *

Lorenzetto Lorenzo Lotti, also known as Lorenzetto, (1490–1541), born Lorenzo di Lodovico di Guglielmo, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor and architect in the circle of Raphael. He was born in Florence and married the sister of Giulio Romano, another ...

Baldassare Peruzzi Baldassare Tommaso Peruzzi (7 March 1481 – 6 January 1536) was an Italian architect and painter, born in a small town near Siena (in Ancaiano, ''frazione'' of Sovicille) and died in Rome. He worked for many years with Bramante, Raphael, and la ...

* Pellegrino da Modena (Pellegrino Aretusi) * Giovan Francesco, also known as ''il Fattore'' *

Andrea del Sarto Andrea del Sarto (, , ; 16 July 1486 – 29 September 1530) was an Italian painter from Florence, whose career flourished during the High Renaissance and early Mannerism. He was known as an outstanding fresco decorator, painter of altar-pieces, ...

Properzia de' Rossi Properzia de' Rossi (c. 1490 Bologna – 1530 Bologna) was a ground-breaking female Italian Renaissance sculptor, the only woman to receive a biography in Vasari's ''Lives of the Artists.'' According to Vasari, she taught herself to carve by wor ...

, with

suor Plautilla Nelli Sister Plautilla Nelli (1524–1588) was a self-taught nun-artist and the first ever known female Italian Renaissance painting, Renaissance painter of Florence. She was a nun of the Dominican convent, Dominican convent of St. Catherine of Siena l ...

Lucrezia Quistelli Lucrezia Quistelli della Mirandola (1541–1594) was an Italian painter. Biography Lucrezia Quistelli was born on October 19 in 1538 in Florence, Italy. Quistelli was baptized in 1541. She is the daughter of Alfonso Quistelli and Giulia Sant ...

and Sofonisba Anguissola (the only women to feature in the ''Lives'') *

Alfonso Lombardi Alfonso Lombardi (c. 1497–1537), also known as Lombardi da Lucca, Alfonso da Ferrara and as Alfonso Lombardo, was an Italian sculptor and medalist who was born in Ferrara, Italy in 1497, and died in Bologna in 1537. He was very active in Bolo ...

* Michele Agnolo (Giovanni Angelo Montorsoli) *

Girolamo Santacroce Girolamo Santacroce (c. 1502 – c. 1537) was a 16th-century Italian sculptor and medalist of the Renaissance period, active mainly in Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. i ...

Dosso Dossi Giovanni di Niccolò de Luteri, better known as Dosso Dossi ( 1489–1542), was an Italian Renaissance painter who belonged to the School of Ferrara, painting in a style mainly influenced by Venetian painting, in particular Giorgione and early T ...

and Battista Dossi (Dossi brothers) * Giovanni Antonio Licino * Rosso Fiorentino *

Giovanni Antonio Sogliani Giovanni Antonio Sogliani (1492 – 17 July 1544) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance, active mainly in Florence. Life and Work Giorgio Vasari in his ''Vite'', the main source for Sogliani's biography, claimed that the painter had appr ...

* Girolamo da Treviso (''Girolamo Da Trevigi'') * Polidoro da Caravaggio and

Maturino da Firenze Maturino da Firenze (1490–1528) was an Italian painter, born in Florence, but working in Rome during the Renaissance. Vasari described the relationship between Polidoro da Caravaggio and Maturino as exceedingly close: Vasari did not disti ...

(''Maturino Fiorentino'') *

Bartolommeo Ramenghi Bartolomeo Ramenghi (1484–1542), also called ''Bagnacavallo'', ''il Bagnacavallo'' or ''il Baruffaldi'', was an Italian painter of the Renaissance, active in Emilia-Romagna. He received the nickname, Bagnacavallo, from the village Bagnacavallo ...

(''Bartolomeo Da Bagnacavallo'') *

Marco Calabrese Marco Cardisco, also known as Marco Calabrese, (Born in Tiriolo c.1486 – c.1542) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period, active mainly in Naples during 1508–1542. Biography He was a pupil of the painter and decorator Polidoro da Ca ...

Morto Da Feltro Morto da Feltre was an Italian painter of the Venetian school who worked at the close of the 15th century and beginning of the 16th. Biography His real name appears to have been Pietro Luzzo, Pietro LuciStefano Ticozzi ''Storia dei letterati e ...

* Franciabigio *

Francesco Mazzola Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola (11 January 150324 August 1540), also known as Francesco Mazzola or, more commonly, as Parmigianino (, , ; "the little one from Parma"), was an Italian Mannerist painter and printmaker active in Florence, Rome, Bol ...

(Il Parmigianino) *

Jacopo Palma Palma Vecchio (c. 1480 – 30 July 1528), born Jacopo Palma, also known as Jacopo Negretti, was a Venetian painter of the Italian High Renaissance. He is called Palma Vecchio in English and Palma il Vecchio in Italian ("Palma the Elder") to di ...

(Il Palma) * Lorenzo Lotto * Fra Giocondo *

Francesco Granacci Francesco Granacci (1469 – 30 November 1543) was an Italian Renaissance painter active primarily in his native Florence. Though little-known today, he was regarded in his time and is featured in Giorgio Vasari's ''Lives of the Artists''. ...

* Baccio d'Agnolo * Valerio Vicentino (Valerio Belli),

Giovanni da Castel Bolognese Giovanni Bernardi (1494 – 22 May 1553), also known as Giovanni da Castel Bolognese and as Giovanni da Castelbolognese, was an Italian gem engraver and medallist who was born in Castel Bolognese, Italy. He was the son of a goldsmith and ...

(Giovanni Bernardi) and

Matteo dal Nasaro Veronese Matteo dal Nasaro Veronese (died ''c.'' 1548), also known as Matteo dal Nasaro of Verona, was an Italian sculptor. He was born in Verona, Italy, but came to prominence in Paris. According to Giorgio Vasari in his ''Lives of the Most Excellent P ...

* Marcantonio Bolognese * Antonio da Sangallo * Giulio Romano * Sebastiano del Piombo (Sebastiano Viniziano) *

Perino Del Vaga Perino (or Perin) del Vaga (nickname of Piero Bonaccorsi) (1501 – October 19, 1547) was an Italian painter and draughtsman of the Late Renaissance/Mannerism. Biography Perino was born near Florence. His father ruined himself by gambling, an ...

Volume 3

Biographies, third part (continued) * Domenico Beccafumi * Giovann'Antonio Lappoli *

Niccolò Soggi Niccolò Soggi (c. 1480 - 12 July 1552) was an Italian painter, born in Monte San Savino in the Province of Arezzo, Italy. He was a pupil of Pietro Perugino, and was in Rome during the pontificate of Pope Leo X. Soggi then moved to Prato, wher ...

* Niccolò detto il Tribolo *

Pierino da Vinci Pierino da Vinci (; –1553/54), born Pier Francesco di Bartolomeo di Ser Piero da Vinci, was an Italian sculptor, born in the small town of Vinci in Tuscany; he was the nephew of Leonardo da Vinci. The son of Bartolomeo da Vinci, Leonardo’s ...

Baccio Bandinelli Baccio Bandinelli (also called Bartolommeo Brandini; 12 November 1493 – shortly before 7 February 1560), was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, draughtsman, and painter. Biography Bandinelli was the son of a prominent Florentine goldsmith, ...

Giuliano Bugiardini Giuliano di Piero di Simone Bugiardini (29 January 1475 – 17 February 1555) was an Italian Renaissance painter. He was born and was mainly active in Florence."Bugiardini, Giuliano." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press. ...

Cristofano Gherardi Cristofano or Cristoforo Gherardi, also known as il Doceno, (November 25, 1508 – April 1556) was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance or Mannerist period, active mainly in Florence and Tuscany. Biography He was born in Borgo San Sepolc ...

Jacopo da Pontormo Jacopo Carucci (May 24, 1494 – January 2, 1557), usually known as ''Jacopo da Pontormo'', ''Jacopo Pontormo'', or simply Pontormo, was an Italian Mannerist painter and portraitist from the Florentine School. His work represents a profound sty ...

Simone Mosca Simone Mosca (1492–1554) was an Italian sculptor who was born in Settignano (part of Florence). His sons were sculptors Francesco Mosca, called ''Il Moschino'' (ca. 1531-1578) and Simone Simoncelli, also known as ''Simone Moschino'' (1533-1 ...

Girolamo Genga Girolamo Genga (c. 1476 – 11 July 1551) was an Italian painter and architect of the late Renaissance, Mannerist style. Life and career Genga was born in a region near Urbino. According mainly to Giorgio Vasari's biography, by age thirtee ...

Bartolommeo Genga Bartolommeo Genga (1518–1558) was an Italian architect who was born in Cesena, Cesena, Italy. He was the son of Girolamo Genga (1467–1551) and the brother-in-law of Giovanni Battista Belluzzi (1506–1554). At 20 years of age, Bartolommeo w ...

and Giovanbatista San Marino (Giovanni Battista Belluzzi) * Michele Sanmicheli with

Paolo Veronese Paolo Caliari (152819 April 1588), known as Paolo Veronese ( , also , ), was an Italian Renaissance painter based in Venice, known for extremely large history paintings of religion and mythology, such as ''The Wedding at Cana'' (1563) and ''The ...

(Paulino) and

Paolo Farinati Paolo Farinati (also known as ''Farinato'' or ''Farinato degli Uberti''; c. 1524 – c. 1606) was an Italian painter of the Mannerist style, active in mainly in his native Verona, but also in Mantua and Venice. He may have ancestors among Flore ...

* Giovannantonio detto il Soddoma da Verzelli * Bastiano detto Aristotile da San Gallo * Benedetto Garofalo and Girolamo da Carpi with Bramantino and Bernardino Gatti (il Soiaro) * Ridolfo Ghirlandaio, Davide Ghirlandaio and

* Giovanni da Udine * Battista Franco with Jacopo Tintoretto and Andrea Schiavone * Francesco Rustichi * Fra' Giovann'Agnolo Montorsoli * Francesco detto de' Salviati with

Giuseppe Porta Giuseppe Porta (1520–1575), also known as Giuseppe Salviati, was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance period, active mostly in Venice. Biography Caterina d’Alessandria con i Santi Gerolamo, Giovanni Battista, Giacomo Apostolo San Fr ...

* Daniello Ricciarelli da Volterra * Taddeo Zucchero with Federico Zuccari *

Michelangelo Buonarroti Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...

(Michelangelo) with Tiberio Calcagni and

Marcello Venusti Marcello Venusti (1512 – 15 October 1579) was an Italian Mannerist painter active in Rome in the mid-16th century. Native to Mazzo di Valtellina near Como, he was reputed to have been a pupil of Perino del Vaga. He is known for a scaled cop ...

* Francesco Primaticcio with

Giovanni Battista Ramenghi Giovanni Battista Ramenghi (1521, Bologna - 1601, Bologna) was an Italian painter. He is sometimes known as Bagnacavallo junior or Bagnacavallo the Younger to distinguish him from his father Bartolomeo Ramenghi (known as Bagnacavallo). Life He t ...

(il Bagnacavallo Jr.), Prospero Fontana, Niccolò dell'Abbate,

Domenico del Barbieri Domenico del Barbieri (c. 1506 - c. 1570) was a Florentine artist of the Renaissance period, also referred to as ''Domenico del Barbiere'', ''Domenico Fiorentino'', and, in France, ''Dominique Florentin''. He settled and married at Troyes in Fr ...

Lorenzo Sabatini Lorenzo Sabbatini or Sabatini, Sabattini or Sabadini (c. 1530–1576), sometimes referred to as Lorenzino da Bologna, was an Italian people, Italian painter of the Mannerist period from Bologna. Biography Sabbatini was born in Bologna and ...

Pellegrino Tibaldi Pellegrino Tibaldi (Valsolda, 1527–Milan, 1596), also known as Pellegrino di Tibaldo de Pellegrini, was an Italian mannerism, mannerist architect, sculpture, sculptor, and mural Painting, painter. Biography Tibaldi was born in Puria di Valsol ...

Luca Longhi Luca Longhi (14 January 1507 – August 12, 1580) was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance or Mannerist period, active in and near Ravenna, where he mainly produced religious paintings and portraits. Biography It is unclear who his mas ...

Livio Agresti Livio Agresti (1508–1580), also called Ritius or Ricciutello, was an Italian painter of the late Renaissance or Mannerist period, active both in his native city of Forlì and in Rome, where he died. He was one of the members of the "Forlì paint ...

, Marco Marchetti,

Giovanni Boscoli Giovanni Boscoli (c.1524 – c.1592) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor and architect, also known as Nanni da Montepulciano after his birthplace of Montepulciano. His father Tomaso was also an architect. He studied under Giorgio Vasari and moved ...

and

Bartolomeo Passarotti Bartolomeo Passarotti or Passerotti (1529–1592) was an Italian painter of the mannerist period, who worked mainly in his native Bologna. His family name is also spelled Passerotti or Passarotto. Life and work From approximately 1550 to 1555, h ...

* Tiziano da Cadore (Titian) with Jacopo Bassano,

Giovanni Maria Verdizotti Giovanni Maria Verdizotti was a well-connected writer and artist who was born in Venice in 1525 and died there in 1600. Life and work As an artist, Verdizotti is mainly remembered for his friendship with Titian, whose pupil he was, and later his ...

, Jan van Calcar (Giovanni fiammingo) and

Paris Bordon Paris Bordone (Paris Paschalinus Bordone; 5 July 1500 – 19 January 1571) was an Italian painter of the Venetian Renaissance who, despite training with Titian, maintained a strand of Mannerist complexity and provincial vigor. Biography Bord ...

Jacopo Sansovino Jacopo d'Antonio Sansovino (2 July 1486 – 27 November 1570) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor and architect, best known for his works around the Piazza San Marco in Venice. These are crucial works in the history of Venetian Renaissance archi ...

with Andrea Palladio,

Alessandro Vittoria Alessandro Vittoria funerary monument - San Zaccaria, Venice Alessandro Vittoria (1525–1608) was an Italian Mannerist sculptor of the Venetian school, "one of the main representatives of the Venetian classical style" and rivalling Giamb ...

, Bartolomeo Ammannati and

Danese Cattaneo Danese Cattaneo (c1512? - 1572) was an Italian sculptor and medallist, active mainly in the Veneto Region. Danese was Tuscan in origin, born in either Massa di Carrara or Colonnata. He produced primarily sculptures of religious and historical ...

* Lione Aretino (Leone Leoni) with Guglielmo Della Porta and Galeazzo Alessi * Giulio Clovio,

manuscript illuminator An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared document where the text is often supplemented with flourishes such as borders and miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Church for prayers, liturgical services and psalms, the ...

* Various Italian artists:

Girolamo Siciolante da Sermoneta Girolamo is an Italian variant of the name Hieronymus. Its English equivalent is Jerome. It may refer to: * Girolamo Cardano (1501–1576), Italian Renaissance mathematician, physician, astrologer and gambler * Girolamo Cassar (c. 1520 – after ...

Iacopino del Conte Jacopino del Conte (1510–1598; also spelled ''Iacopino'') was an Italian Mannerist painter, active in both Rome and Florence. A native of Florence, Jacopino del Conte was born the same year as another Florentine master Cecchino del Salvi ...

Dono Doni Dono Doni, also known as Adone Doni or Dono dei Doni (1505-1575) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period active mainly in Umbria. Biography Doni was born at Assisi. While is said by Lanzi and others to have been a disciple of Pietro P ...

Cesare Nebbia Cesare Nebbia (c.1536–c.1614) was an Italian painter from Orvieto who painted in a Mannerism, Mannerist style. Biography Nebbia was born in Orvieto. He trained with Girolamo Muziano, and under this master, he helped complete a flurry of de ...

and Niccolò Circignani detto il Pomarancio *

Bronzino Agnolo di Cosimo (; 17 November 150323 November 1572), usually known as Bronzino ( it, Il Bronzino ) or Agnolo Bronzino, was an Italian Mannerist painter from Florence. His sobriquet, ''Bronzino'', may refer to his relatively dark skin or reddis ...

* Giorgio Vasari

Editions

There have been numerous editions and translations of the ''Lives'' over the years. Many have been abridgements due to the great length of the original. The first English-language translation by

Eliza Foster Eliza Vere Foster ( Cheltenham, 25 July 1802 - Bergamo, 4 October 1888) was an English author and literary translator from Italian, Spanish and German. Biography After studying classic and modern languages, and already a widow at 30, on 7 M ...

(as "Mrs. Jonathan Foster") was published by Henry George Bohn in 1850-51, with careful and abundant annotations. According to professor

Patricia Rubin Patricia Lee Rubin is an American art historian and a scholar of Italian Renaissance art. Early life and education Rubin received her BA from Yale University in 1975, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She received her MA from the Courtauld ...

of New York University, "her translation of Vasari brought the ''Lives'' to a wide English-language readership for the first time. Its very real value in doing so is proven by the fact that it remained in print and in demand through the nineteenth century."

, “Eliza Foster (dates unknown)”, ''Interdisciplinary Studies in the Long Nineteenth Century'' 2019 (28). doi: https://doi.org/10.16995/ntn.864 The most recent new English translation is by Peter and Julia Conaway Bondanella, published in the Oxford World's Classics series in 1991.Vasari, G. ''The Lives of the Artists''. Translated with an introduction and notes by J.C. and Peter Bondanella. Oxford: Oxford University Press (Oxford World’s Classics), 1991.

Versions online

Italian
1550 edition
Progetto Manuzio (PDF)

Selections drawn from a 1768 reprint
1568 edition, Vol. 1
in the Internet Archive (biographies from Cimabue to Signorelli)
1568 edition, Vol. 2
in the Internet Archive (biographies from Leonardo to Perino del Vaga)
1568 edition, Vol. 3
in the Internet Archive (biographies from Beccafumi to Vasari) English

Website created by Adrienne DeAngelis. Currently incomplete, intended to be unabridged
''Stories Of The Italian Artists From Vasari''
Translated by E. L. Seeley, 1908, abridged

References

Sources

External links

* *
Free English translation of the work divided into ten ebooks at Project Gutenberg

Original Italian version
from 1568 on archive.org *
Excerpts from the ''Vite'' combined with photos of works mentioned by Vasari.
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, And Architects Giorgio Vasari 1550 books 1568 books Biographies about artists Italian books Vasari Art history books Architecture books