An Italian Mannerist architect and painter, Giorgio Vasari was acquainted with many of the most famous artists of his day. He is best-known today for his biographies of artists including Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Titian and Giotto. This recording is read with clarity and authority by Neville Jason.
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"It's a tough read - but what book from the Renaissance isn't? There's some interesting stuff here... however, Vasari isn't the most reliable source so it's sort of like reading gossip. ;0) " — Rachel (4 out of 5 stars)
"It's a tough read - but what book from the Renaissance isn't? There's some interesting stuff here... however, Vasari isn't the most reliable source so it's sort of like reading gossip. ;0) "
" This book is hilarious and so, so opinionated. Wholly entertaining, to say the least. "
" Visari is not the most articulate art critic, but this book is worth reading for some of the anecdotes. Highlights include Michaelangelo throwing wooden planks at the Pope for sneaking a look at his work. "
" Vasari is my go-to volume for a trip to Italy. Nothing gives Renaissance Italian art even more life than the gossipy history of one of its comtemporaries. "
" Had to buy it 'cause my professor wrote the intro. Not knocking it, it is a very good account/reference for all things art in Italy. "
" My edition of the Lives is no longer in print but this is a good translation and is worth reading by anyone interested in Renaissance art and politics. Vasari is deservedly the most famous writer on art and his contemporaries read and find some Italian art and understand the works. "
" I read this for the gossip "
" such an amazing book that was written during the time of the artists including that of Michaelangelo! awesome book to read if you are interested in art of course! "
" Vasari knew many of the great artists that we know speculate understanding. He offers an interesting perspective giving us true stories of the artists we think we know about. "
" Absolutely fascinating! Read the lives of Brunelleschi and Donatello, if nothing else -- will keep you riveted and smiling from beginning to end. "
" A must read for all art students! "
" Good to read if you are interested in learning about the lives of classic Renaissance Italian artists. "
" I finished my copy before realizing it was abridged. I was upset until I read in another art history book that he made a lot of this stuff up. It was fairly inaccurate. Still fun to read. "
" A look at the great male artists of the Renaissance. Vasari himself was influential in the historiography of art. "
" I read this in college while taking a Renaissance History Course. It was a bit of a difficult read (for me at least), but interesting if you like historical info about art. "
" If anyone is interested in the artists of the Italian Renaissance, this is definately the book to read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It makes me want to go to Italy! "
Giorgio Vasari (1511–1574), born in Tuscany, studied in Florence with Michelangelo while he was still a boy. When his patron, Duke Alessandro, was assassinated, Vasari wandered round Italy filling his notebooks with sketches; by his thirties, Vasari was a highly successful painter. He returned to Florence in 1555, where he was appointed architect of the Palazzo Vecchio. Vasari was knighted by Pope Pius V in 1571.
Neville Jason is an award–winning narrator, as well as a television and stage actor. He has earned seven AudioFile Earphones Awards and been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He is a former member of the Old Vic Company, the English Stage Company, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and the Birmingham Repertory Company. While training at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, he was awarded the diction prize by Sir John Gielgud.
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