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

By Giorgio Vasari, Gaston du C. de Vere (translator),

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

Book description

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…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Many art historians consider this book sacred and the best first-hand account of the wondrous artists of the Renaissance. I found the stories extremely interesting about the character of these artists. Vasari was the biographer who gave the original account of how Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci hated each other. It also told the story of how both Michelangelo and Leonardo were hired to paint significant battle scenes on the same wall inside the Palazzo Vecchio. It was considered the greatest painting competition of all time as both men completed massive cartoons (preliminary drawings) on The Battle of Cascina and…

From Kathleen's list on art and Italy.

If you love The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects...

Ad

Book cover of Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor's Unlikely Adventure

Tap Dancing on Everest by Mimi Zieman,

Tap Dancing on Everest, part coming-of-age memoir, part true-survival adventure story, is about a young medical student, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor raised in N.Y.C., who battles self-doubt to serve as the doctor—and only woman—on a remote Everest climb in Tibet.

The team attempts a new route up…

Want books like The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects.

Browse books like The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects

Book cover of Leonardo Da Vinci
Book cover of The Agony and the Ecstasy: A Biographical Novel of Michelangelo
Book cover of Oil and Marble: A Novel of Leonardo and Michelangelo

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

2,008

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 If you like The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, you might also like...

Book cover of Norvel: An American Hero

Norvel by Kenneth F. Conklin,

NORVEL: An American Hero chronicles the remarkable life of Norvel Lee, a civil rights pioneer and Olympic athlete who challenged segregation in 1948 Virginia. Born in the Blue Ridge Mountains to working-class parents who valued education, Lee overcame Jim Crow laws and a speech impediment to achieve extraordinary success.

He…

Book cover of American Flygirl

American Flygirl by Susan Tate Ankeny,

The first and only full-length biography of Hazel Ying Lee, an unrecognized pioneer and unsung World War II hero who fought for a country that actively discriminated against her gender, race, and ambition.

This unique hidden figure defied countless stereotypes to become the first Asian American woman in United States…

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Italy, artists, and Leonardo da Vinci?

Italy 418 books
Artists 96 books