Vasari's Florence : artists and literati at the Medicean Court

This book explores the multi-faceted career of Giorgio Vasari—painter, architect, artistic impresario, collector and biographer. The essays examine Vasari's working relationship with his advisor, Vincenzo Borghini, from the decoration of the Sala Regia at the Vatican to the master's last and greatest challenge, the cupola of Florence cathedral. Drawing on recently discovered documentary sources from the Vasari family archive,Vasari's Florence puts into new perspective the historiographical and artistic achievements of this pivotal Renaissance artist. "Vasari's Florence explores the multifaceted career of Giorgio Vasari - painter, architect, artistic impresario, collector, and author of Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors and Architects, a text that stands at the foundation of art-historical writing up to the present. Born in Arezzo, Vasari became the adopted son of Florence, where he served Cosimo I for twenty years. The ducal court provided the setting for artists and literati to collaborate, while the commissioning of historical cycles served to further the political agenda of the Medici principate. The essays in this volume examine Vasari's working relationship with his advisor, Vincenzo Borghini, from the decoration of the Palazzo Vecchio and the Sala Regia at the Vatican, to the master's last and greatest challenge, the cupola of Florence cathedral. Also offered are new insights into Vasari's writings - how Vasari constructed the Lives of his contemporaries to suit his objectives as an artist in his own right, and how his views have conditioned our understanding of Renaissance art."--Jacket xvi, 320 p. : 26 cm Includes bibliographical references (p. 305-313) and index