Giorgio Vasari

Born in Arezzo in 1511, Giorgio Vasari built a remarkable career in Renaissance Italy as a painter, architect, collector, and author. He worked for powerful patrons, especially the Medici, and became closely tied to the artistic life of Florence.

Today he is best known for Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, a landmark book that brought together biographies of major Italian artists. The work is often seen as a foundation of art history because it did so much to preserve stories, reputations, and ideas about Renaissance art.

Vasari was also an accomplished artist and designer in his own right. He died in 1574, leaving behind not only paintings and architectural projects, but also a lasting way of thinking and writing about artists and their lives.